ter for a large Confutation ; yet I am fcarce inclined to be- 
lieve, that any will beftow fo much pains upon it. For, if that 
be true, which (in his Preface) he faith of himfelf , Autfolusin - 
fanio Ego , ant [bins non infanio : it would either be JSeedlefs, or to 
no Purpofe. For, by his own confeflion, All others , if they be not 
mad themfelves, ought to think Him fo : And therefore, as to 
Them, a Confutation would be needlefs s who, its like, are well 
enough fatisfied already : at leaft out of danger of being fedu- 
ced. And, as to himfelf, it would be to no purpofe. For, if He be 
the Mad man, it is not to be hoped that he will be convinced by 
Reafon : Or, if All We be fo; we are in no capacity to attempt it. 
But there is yet another Reafon, why I think it not to need 
a Confutation. Becaule what is in it,hath been fufficiently con- 
futed already > (and, fo Effectually ;as that he profeffeth him- 
felf not to Hope, that This Age is like to give fentence for him ; 
what ever Nondumimbuta Pofleritas may do. ) Nor doth there 
appear any Reafon, why he fhould again Repeat it , unlefs he 
can hope, That, what was at firft Falie, may by oft Repeating, 
become True. 
I Hi all therefore, inftead of a large Anfwer, onely give you a 
brief Account, what Is in it\ &,r vhere it hath been already Anfrvered. 
The chief of what he hath to fay, in his firft io Chapters, a- 
oain ftEucUds Definitions, amounts but to this, That he thinks, 
Euclide ought to have allowed his Point fome Bignejs ; his Line, 
fome Breadth ; and his Surface fo me Tkiebnefj a 
But where in his Dialogues, pag. 1 5 1, 1 52. he folemnly under- 
takes to Demonftrate it $ (for it is there, his 41th Proportion :) his 
Demonflration amounts to no more but this ; That, unlefs a 
bine be allowed fome Latitude ; it is not poffible that his Quadratures 
tan be True. For finding himfelf reduced to thefe inconveni- 
ences ; 1. That his Geometrical ConflruHions , would not confift 
with Arithmetical calculations , nor with what Archimedes and 
others have long fince demonftrated : 2. That the Arch 
of a Circle mull: be allowed to be fometimes Shorter than 
its Chord, and fometimes longer than its Tangent'. 3. That the 
fame Straight Line muff be allowed, atone place onely to 
Tm^and at another place to Cut the fame Circle : (with others 
of like nature;) He findes it neceffary , that thefe things may 
not feem &bfurd, to allow his l ines fome Breadth, (that fo, as he 
fpeaks . While a Sraigbt Line with its Qut.fide doth at one place 
Touch 1 
