50 
incline, or hang sidewise by any meanes. Behind this glasse 
set a faire looking glasse, the polished side beholding the 
said burning glasse, to ye intent to receive the beames that 
come through tlie^same : which done, looke in the looking 
glasse, so shall you have your desire, if the burning glasse 
were truely placed : for you must note whatsoeuer thing 
you see through the burning glasse, that the further you 
stand from the glasse, the bigger it seemeth, untill you come 
to a certaine distance, and then the object seen through the 
glasse doth seeme lesser and lesser, therefore care must be 
had in placing the glasses, so may you see a Towne or 
Castle, or any window in the same, 6 or 7 miles, or see a 
man 4? or 5 miles, reade a letter in written hand a quarter 
of a mile from you,” &c. 
Hopton does not give the name of the writers from whom 
he derived this experiment. A partial search has not been 
successful in tracing it to an earlier author. 
