( 3o8 ; 
Excerpt a ex Uteris JU. cjT* Oariff. Virorum 
ad ^ob. AmpliJJ. ^ conjultifi. V. 
]oh. Hevelium (^onf. Gedaneafem 
perfcripris^ fudicia de ^bui Aftro- 
nomicis, ejufdemqueScriptis^ cxhtben-' 
tin^ /iudhac opera ]ohanms Erici OI^ 
hoffij Secretarij (jedant ii^nno \6^i 
^PHe Compiler of this BooJ^ being now Secretary of the 
* l^epublick^ oi Dant^qg^ has happily chofen a Subjedl 
which gives nim Opportunity to publifh the extraofdinary 
merit of his friendy the famous and learned Hevelius-^ 
and at the fame tirne to advance the l{epiitatton of his 
Coimtry^ where fuCh men have been bred up, andcalled 
to be M<igi1lrates. The Worl^ it felf confifts but of a part of 
Fiftecfi Volumes of Letters y written by fome of the 
chiefeft men of this Age, to Hevelim in Comttiejida- 
tion of his Selenography y Cometography and Machine Ce' 
leliisy already publifhed, and for his further encou- 
ragement to go on with his other ^Jlronomical dtTignSy 
yec unfiniflied. The Encomiums given in thefe Letters 
are greater then can be comprehended by thofe that 
have not read them , and are to be valued by the worth 
and honour of x\\o^q perfons they Come from, among 
whom the Great Monfieur Colbert deferves well to be 
mentioned, the Sincerity of whofe Praifes need not 
be doubted of, fince they came accompanied with good 
Solid Bills of Exchange. 
TraSlatus 
