£< 4 ) 
M r - Hook 's Anfever to Monfieur AuzoutV 
Confederation?, in a Letter to the Vublifher 
of tbefee Transactions. 
SJK> 
Together with my mod: hearty, thanks for the favour you 
werepleafed to d o me ? in fending me an Epitome of what had 
been by the ingenious Monfieur Au%eut ammadrerted on a de« 
fcription, I had made of an Engine for grinding fpberical GlaJJes $ 
I thought my felf obliged, both for your fatisfa&ion, and my 
owa Vindication, to, return you my prefent thoughts upon thofe 
Objections. The chief of which feems to be againft the very 
Rrepofition it felf: For it appears, that the ObjeUor is fomewhat 
unfatisfied, that X fhouid propound a thing in Theory^ without 
having firft tried the Praftkabhnefi of it. But firft 3 I could wifh 
that this worthy perfon had rectified nay miftakes, not by fpe- 
eulation 3 but by experiments. Next, I have this to anfwcr,thac 
(though X did, not tell the Reader fo much, to the end that he 
might have the more freedom to examine and judg of the con- 
triyance, yet) it was notmeer Theory I propounded, but fome« 
what of Hiflory and matter of Fabl : For, I had made trials, as 
many as my leifure would permit, not without fome good fuc- 
cats 5 but not having time and opportunity enough to profecute 
them 3 X thought itwould not be unacceptable to fuch,as enjoyed 
both 5 to have a defcription of a way altogether New, and Geo- 
metrically true, and feemingly, not unpradXicable 3 whereof they 
might make ufe 5 or not, as they fhouid fee reafon. But nothing 
furprifed me fo much 3 as, that he is pleafed (after he had de- 
clared it a fault, to write this Theory, without having reduced it to 
prad:ice)toIay it, as he feems to do,in one place of his book ,^.2 2 
upon the Royal Society. Truly, Sir*, X fhouid think my felfmoft 
injurious to that Noble Company , had I not endeavoured, even in 
the beginning of my Book, to prevent fuch a mifconftradtion. 
And therefore X cannot but make this interpretation of what 
' in this particular^that either he had notfo 
much i 
