Mathematical Collections and Translations, in Two Tomes

by Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler,

MATHEMATICAL

Collections and Translations:

In two

TOMES.

MATHEMATICAL

COLLECTIONS

AND

TRANSLATIONS.

The FIRST

TOME.

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THE FIRST PART.

Containing,

1. Galileus Galileus, His SYSTEME of the World.

II. Galileus, his EPISTLE to the GRAND DUTCHESSE Mother concerning the Authority of Sacred SCRIPTURE in Philosophical Controversies.

III. Johannes Keplerus, his Reconcilings of SCRIPTURE Texts, &c.

IV. Didacus a Stunica, his Reconcilings of SCRIPTURE Texts, &c.

V. P. A. Foscarinus, his Epistle to Father FANTONUS, reconciling the Authority of Sacred SCRIPTURE, and Judgments of Divines alledged against, &c.

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By THOMAS SALUSBURY, Esq.

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LONDON,
Printed by William Leybourne, MDCLXI.

To the Noble and most perfectly Accomplished

S^r. JOHN DENHAM

Knight of the Noble Order of the

BATH,

And Surveyor General of his Ma^ties Works, &c.

Sir,

I Humbly begge your Pardon for bringing this Book under your Protection. Were it a Work of my own, or I any thing but the Translatour, I should master my Thoughts to a meaner Dedication; But being a Collection of some of the greatest Masters in the World, and never made English till now, I conceived I might sooner procure their Welcome to a person so eminent for Noble Candor, as well as for all those Intellectual Excellencies wherewith Your Rich Soul is known to be furnished. I resolv'd to be as kind to this Book as I could, and seriously considering which way to effect it, I at last concluded to prefix Your Name, whom His Majesty and all his Subjects, (who have a higher Sense and Judgement of Excellent Parts) know best able to defend my Imperfections. And yet I confess there's one thing makes against me, which is your eminent Integrity and great Affection to Truth, whereby my Lapses in a Work of this Nature might justly despair of Shelter, but that the Excellency of Your Native Candor strives for Predominancy over all Your great Abilities. For 'tis all-most impossible to think what Your Matchless Wit is not able to Conquer, would Your known Modesty but give leave: therefore Galileus, Kepler, and those other Worthies in Learning are now brought before You in English Habit, having chang'd their Latine, Italian and French, whereby they were almost Strangers to our Nation, unless to such as You, who so perfectly master the Originals. I know you have so much and great imployment for His Majesty, and his good Subjects that I shall not robb you of another Minutes loss; besides the liberty of subscribing my Self;

SIR,

Your Honours

Most Humble
and
Most obedient Servant
THOMAS SALUSBURY.

READER,

MAthematical Learning (to speak nothing touching the necessity & delight thereof; hath bin so sparingly imparted to our Countrymen in their native English, especially the nobler and sublimer part, that in Compliance with the Solicitations of several of my noble and learned Friends, and the Inclinations of such as are Mathematically disposed, more especially those, who either want Time or Patience to look into the vulgar and unstudied Languages, I did adventure upon this Work of Collecting & Translating from amongst the excellent Pieces that are so abounding in the Italian and French Tongues, some of those that my own observation and the intimation of Friends were most usefull and desired, and with all most wanting in their Own.

I was, indeed, at first seriously Conscious, and am now, by experience, fully convinced how disproportionate the weight of the Enterprize is to the weakness of the Vndertaker, but yet the Passion I ever had to be subservient to my Friends and Compatriots in their Inquisition after these Sublime Studies, and a Patience which I owe to the Flegme that is predominant in my Constitution, joyned with a nine-years conversence in these Languages, as also an unhappy and long Vacation that the persecutions of the late Tyrants gave me from more advantagious employments so prevailed with me, that I resolved to improve even my very Confinement to serve those Friends, whom, as the Times then stood, I could not see.

The Book being for Subject and Design intended chiefly for Gentlemen, I have bin as careless of using a studied Pedantry in my Style; as careful in contriving a pleasant and beautiful Impression. And when I had considered the hazard, and computed the charge of the undertaking, I found it to exceed the ability of a private Purse, especially of mine, that had bin so lately emptied by the hand of violent enemies, and perfidious friends; not to make mention here of the Sums that a Loyal Reflexion upon my Princes Affairs had at the same time drawn from me; and judg'd that the most safe, easy, and reasonable way was to invite those Persons who had appeared desirous of the Book, to be contributary to their own Contentment, by subscribing towards the charge of this Publication.

And for the better management of the Work, I joyned to my self a Printer, whose Genius having rendered him Mathematical, and my overtures of profit having interessed his diligence, I was induced to promise my self a more than common Assistance from him: and at his door I with reason lay all miscarriages that concerns his Profession in the Business.

In this Work I found more than ordinary Encouragement from that publick spirited Person the Reverend and Learned Dr. Thomas Barlow, Provost of Queens Colledge Oxford, and Margaret Professor in that Vniversity, as also from those two able Mathematicians and my Reall Friends Major Miles Symner, and Mr. Robert Wood of Trinity Colledge Dublin, and some few others whose Modesty hath expresly enjoin'd me a concealment of their Names.

Well, at length I have got to the end of my first Stage; and if I have not rid Post, let my excuse be that my long stay for my Warrant caused me to set out late; and being ill mounted, and in a road full of rubbs, I could not with any safety go faster; but hope to get it up in the next Stage, for in that I intend to shift my Horses.

The names of those Authors and Treatices which I judged would most grace our Language, and gratify Students, are particularly exprest in the General Title of the two Tomes. Distinct Tomes they are as consisting of several Pieces: Collections I call them, because they have bin so published, disperst, and worn out of Print, that they very rarely meet in one hand: and Translations I own them to be, as not pretending to any thing more than the disposure and conversion of them: those Tracts only excepted which compose the second Part of the second Tome.

The first Book which offers it self to your view in this Tome is that singular and unimitable Piece of Reason and Demonstration the Systeme of Galileo. The subject of it is a new and Noble prrt of Astronomy, to wit the Doctrine and Hypothesis of the Mobility of the Earth and the Stability of the Sun; the History whereof I shall hereafter give you at large in the Life of that famous Man. Only this by the by; that the Reader may not wonder why these Dialogues found so various entertainment in Italy (for he cannot but have heard that though they have been with all veneration valued, read & applauded by the Iudicious, yet they were with much detestation persecuted, suppressed & exploded by the Superstitious) I am to tell him that our Author having assigned his intimate Friends Salviati and Sagredo the more successfull Parts of the Challenger, and Moderater, he made the famous Commentator Simplicius to personate the Peripatetick. The Book coming out, and Pope Urban the VIII. taking his Honour to be concern'd as having in his private Capacity bin very positive in declaiming against the Samian Philosophy, and now (as he supposed) being ill delt with by Galileo who had summed up all his Arguments, and put them into the mouth of Simplicius; his Holiness thereupon conceived an implacable Displeasure against our Author, and thinking no other revenge sufficient, he employed his Apostolical Authority, and deals with the Consistory to condemn him and proscribe his Book as Heretical; prostituting the Censure of the Church to his private revenge. This was Galileo's fortune in Italy: but had I not reason to hope that the English will be more hospitable, on the account of that Principle which induceth them to be civil to (I say not to dote on) Strangers, I should fear to be charged with imprudence for appearing an Interpreter to that great Philosopher. And in this confidence I shall forbear to make any large Exordium concerning him or his Book: & the rather in regard that such kind of Gauderies become not the Gravity of the Subject; as also knowing how much (coming from me) they must fall short of the Merits of it, or him: but principally because I court only persons of Judgement & Candor, that can distinguish between a Native Beauty, and spurious Vernish. This only let me premise, though more to excuse my weakness in the menaging, than to insinuate my ability in accomplishing this so arduous a Task, that these profound Dialogues have bin found so uneasy to Translate, that neither affectation of Novelty could induce the French, nor the Translating humour perswade the Germans to undertake them. This difficulty, as I conceived, was charged either upon the Intricacy of this manner of Writing, or upon the singular Elegance in the stile of Galileo, or else upon the miscarriage of the unfortunate Mathias Berneggeius who first attempted to turn them into Latine for the benefit of the Learned World.

I shall not presume to Censure the Censure which the Church of Rome past upon this Doctrine and its Assertors. But, on the contrary, my Author having bin indefinite in his discourse, I shall forbear to exasperate, and attempt to reconcile such persons to this Hypothesis as devout esteem for Holy Scripture, and dutifull Respect to Canonical Injunctions hath made to stand off from this Opinion: and therefore for their sakes I have at the end of the Dialogues by way of supplement added an Epistle of Galileo to Her Most Serene Highness Christina Lotharinga the Grand Dutchesse Mother of Tuscany; as also certain Abstracts of John Kepler, Mathematician to two Emperours, and Didacus à Stunica a famous Divine of Salamanca, with an Epistle of Paulo Antonio Foscarini a learned Carmelite of Naples, that shew the Authority of Sacred Scripture in determining of Philosophical and Natural Controversies: hoping that the ingenious & impartial Reader will meet with full satisfaction in the same. And least what I have spoken of the prohibiting of these Pieces by the Inquisition may deterre any scrupulous person from reading of them, I have purposely inserted the Imprimatur by which that Office licenced them. And for a larger account of the Book or Author, I refer you to the Relation of his Life, which shall bring up the Reare in the Second Tome.

What remains of this, is that Excellent Discourse of D. Benedetto Castelli Abbate di San Benedetto Aloysio, concerning the Mensuration of Running Waters, with other Treatises of that Learned Prelate, & of the Superintendent Corsini. Some may alledge, and I doe confess that I promised to publish the Life of Galileo in this place: But the great miscarriages of Letters from some Friends in Italy and else where, to whom I am a Debtor for several Remarques, & from whom I daily expect yet greater Helps concerning the History of that famous Personage: these disappointments, I say, joyned with the undeniable Request of some Friends, who were impatient to see Castelli in English, together with a consideration of the disproportionate Bulk that would otherwise have bin betwixt the two Volumes, perswaded me to this exchange. This deviation from my Promise I hope is Venial, and for the expiating of it I plead Supererrogation: having in each Tome made so large Aditions (though to my great expense) that they make neer a third part more than I stood by promise bound to Publish. That this is so will appear by comparing the Contents I here prefix with the Advertisment I formerly Printed. For not to mention those Epitomes of Kepler and à Stunica, the whole second and following Books of Castelli, were not come to my hands at the time of my penning that Paper; yet knowing how imperfect the Volume would be without them, they being partly a supplement to the Theoremes and Problemes which the Abbot had formerly Printed, and partly experiments that had procured him and his Doctrine a very great Reputation, knowing this I say, I apprehended a necessity of publishing them with the rest: and hope that if you think not the service I have done therein worth your acknowledgement, you will yet at least account the encrease of my expence a sufficient extenuation of the Trespass that those Additions have forced me to commit upon your Patience in point of Time.

As for the second Tome, I have only this to assure the Generous Readers; 1 that I am very confident I shall be much more punctual in publishing that, than (for the reasons above related.) I was able to be in setting forth this: 2 that they shall not be abused in advancing of their moneys, (as hath bin used in the like case) by selling the remaining Copyes at an under rate; and 3 that I have a very great care that no disesteem may by my means arise unto this way of publishing Books, for that it is of excellent use in ushering Great and Costly Volumes into the World.

To say nothing of the disadvantages of Translations in general, this of mine doubtless is not without it's Errours, and oversights: but those of the Printer discounted, I hope the rest may be allowed me upon the score of Human Imbecilitie. The truth is, I have assumed the Liberty to note the Mistakes in the Florid Version of Berneggerus in the Margent, not so much to reproach him, as to convince those who told me that they accounted my pains needless, having his Latine Translation by them. The like they said of the whole two Tomes: but they thereby caused me to question their Understanding or Veracity. For some of the Books were yet never extant: As for instance; the Mechanicks of Monsieur Des Cartes, a Manuscript which I found amongst the many other Rarities that enrich the well-chosen Library of my Learned and Worthy Friend Dr. Charles Scarburgh; the Experiments of Gravity, and the Life of Galileo, both my own: Others were included in Volumes of great price, or so dispersed that they were not to be purchased for any money; as those of Kepler, à Stunica, Archimedes, Tartaglia, and the Mechanicks of Galileo: And the remainder, though easyer to procure, were harder to be understood; as Tartaglia his notes on Archimedes, Torricellio his Doctrine of Projects, Galileo his Epistle to the Dutchesse of Tuscany, and above all his Dialogues de Motu; (never till now done into any Language) which were so intermixt of Latine and Italian, that the difficulty of the Stile, joyned with the intricatnesse of the Subject rendered them Unpleasant, if not wholly Vnintelligible, to such as were not absolute Masters of both the Tongues.

To conclude; according to the entertainment that you please to afford these Collections, I shall be encouraged to proceed with the Publication of a large Body of Hydrography; declaring the History, Art, Lawes, and Apendages of that Princely Study of Navigation, wherein I have omitted nothing of note that can be found either in Dudley, Fournier, Aurigarius, Nonius, Snellus, Marsennus, Baysius, Morisetus, Blondus, Wagoner, abroad, or learnt amongst our Mariners at home, touching the Office of an Admiral, Commander, Pilot, Modellist, Shipwright, Gunner, &c.

But order requiring that I should discharge my first Obligation before I contract a second; I shall detein you no longer in the Portall, but put you into possession of the Premises,

Novemb. 20. 1661.

T. S.

The CONTENTS of the FIRST

TOME.

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PART THE FIRST.
Treatise I.	GALILEUS GALILEUS, his Systeme of the World: in Four Dialogues.
Treatise II.	His Epistle to her Serene Highnesse CHRISTIANA LOTHERINGA GRAND DUTCHESSE of TUSCANY, touching the Ancient and Modern Doctrine of holy Fathers, and Judicious Divines, concerning the Authority of sacred Scripture in phylosophical Controversies.
Treatise III.	JOHANNES KEPLERUS, his Reconcilings of Texts of sacred scripture that seem to oppose the Doctrine of the Earths mobility: abstracted from his Introduction unto his learned Commentaries upon the Planet MARS.
Treatise IV.	DIDACUS a STUNICA, a learned Spanish divine, his Reconcilings of the said Doctrine with the Texts of sacred Scripture; abstracted from his Commentarie upon JOB.
Treatise V.	PAULUS ANTONIUS FOSCARINUS, a Carmelite, his Epistle to SEBASTIANUS FANTONUS, the General of his Order, concerning the Pythagorean and Copernican Opinion of the mobility of the Earth, and stability of the Sun; and of the new Systeme or constitution of the World: in which he reconcileth the Texts of sacred Scripture, and Assertions of Divines, commonly alledged against this Opinion.
	A Table of the most observable Persons and Matters mentioned in the First Part.
PART THE SECOND.
Treatise I.	D. BENEDICTUS CASTELLUS, Abbot of S. Benedictus Aloysius, his Discourse of the mensuration of Running Waters: The First Book.
Treatise II.	His Letter to GALILEUS, representing the state of the Lake of Perugia in Tuscany.
Treatise III.	His geometrical demonstrations of the Measure of Running Waters.
Treatise IV.	His Discourse of the mensuration of Running Waters: The Second Book.
Treatise V.	His Considerations concerning the Lake of Venice. In two discourses.
Treatise VI.	His Rule for computing the quantity of mud and sand that Land-Floods bring down to, and leave in the Lake of VENICE.
Treatise VII.	His Letter to Father FRANCESCO di S. GIVSEPPE, wherein, at the instance of PRINCE LEOPALDO, he delivereth his judgment concerning the turning Fiume Morto (a River near Pisa in Tuscany) into the Sea, and into the River Serchio.
Treatise VIII.	His second Letter in answer to certain Objections proposed, and Difficulties observed by Signore BARTOLOTTI, in that affair of the Diversion of Fiume Morto.
Treatise IX.	His Consideration upon the draining of the pontine Fenns in CALABRIA.
Treatise X.	His Consideration upon the Draining of the Territories of BOLOGNA, FERRARA, and ROMAGNA.
Treatise XI.	His Letter to D. FERRANTE CESARINI, applying his Doctrine to the mensuration of the length, and distribution of the quantity of the Waters of Rivers, Springs, Aqueducts, &c.
Treatise XII.	D. CORSINUS, Superintendent of the general drains, and President of ROMAGNA, his Relation of the state of the Waters in the Territories of BOLOGNA and FERRARA.
	A Table of the most observable Persons and Matters mentioned in the Second Part.

The CONTENTS of the SECOND

TOME.

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PART THE FIRST.
Treatise I.	GALILEUS GALILEUS, his mathematical discourses and Demonstratioms touching two new Sciences, pertaining to the Mechanicks, and local motion: with an Appendix of the Centre of gravity of some solids in Four dialogues.
Treatise II.	His MECHANICKS; a New Peice.
Treatise III.	RHENATUS Des CARTES, his Mechanicks; translated from his French manuscript; a New Peice.
Treatise IV.	ARCHIMEDES, his Tract De Insidentibus Humido; with the Notes and Demonstrasions of NICOLAUS TARTALEUS, in Two Books.
Treatise V.	GALILEUS his Discourse of the things that move in or upon the Water.
Treatise VI.	NICOLAUS TARTALEUS his Inventions for Diving under Water, Raising of Ships sunk, &c. in Two Books.
PART THE SECOND.
Treatise I.	EVANGELISTA TORRICELLIUS, his Doctrine of Projects, and Tables of the Ranges of Great Gunns of all sorts; wherein he detects sundry Errors in Gunnery: An Epitome.
Treatise II.	T. S. his Experiments of the comparative Gravity of Bodies in the Aire and Water.
Treatise III.	GALILEUS GALILEUS, his Life: in Five Books,
	Book I. Containing Five Chapters.
	Book I. Chap. 1. His Country.
	Book I. Chap. 2. His Parents and Extraction.
	Book I. Chap. 3. His time of Birth.
	Book I. Chap. 4. His first Education.
	Book I. Chap. 5. His Masters.
	Book II. Containing Three Chapters.
	Book II. Chap. 1. His judgment in several Learnings.
	Book II. Chap. 2. His Opinions and Doctrine.
	Book II. Chap. 3. His Auditors and Scholars.
	Book III. Containing Four Chapters.
	Book III. Chap. 1. His behaviour in Civil Affairs.
	Book III. Chap. 2. His manner of Living.
	Book III. Chap. 3. His morall Virtues.
	Book III. Chap. 4. His misfortunes and troubles.
	Book IV. Containing Four Chapters.
	Book IV. Chap. 1. His person described.
	Book IV. Chap. 2. His Will and Death.
	Book IV. Chap. 3. His Inventions.
	Book IV. Chap. 4. His Writings.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. His Dialogues of the Systeme in particular, containing Nine Sections.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. Section 1. Of Astronomy in General; its Definition, Praise, Original.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. Section 2. Of Astronomers: a Chronological Catalogue of the most famous of them.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. Section 3. Of the Doctrine of the Earths Mobility, &c. its Antiquity, and Progresse from Pythagoras to the time of Copernicus.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. Section 4. Of the Followers of Copernicus, unto the time of Galileus.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. Section 5. Of the severall Systemes amongst Astronomers.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. Section 6. Of the Allegations against the Copern. Systeme, in 77 Arguments taken out of Ricciolo, with Answers to them.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. Section 7. Of the Allegations for the Copern. Systeme in 50 Arguments.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. Section 8. Of the Scriptures Authorities produced against and for the Earths mobility.
	Book IV. Chap. 5. Section 9. The Conclusion of the whole Chapter.
	Book V. Containing Four Chapters.
	Book V. Chap. 1. His Patrons, Friends, and Emulators.
	Book V. Chap. 2. Authors judgments of him.
	Book V. Chap. 3. Authors that have writ for, or against him.
	Book V. Chap. 4. A Conclusion in certain Reflections upon his whole Life.
	Book V. Chap 4.. A Table of the whole Second Tome.