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A66047 Mathematicall magick, or, The vvonders that may be performed by mechanicall geometry in two books, concerning mechanicall povvers, motions, being one of the most easie, pleasant, usefull (and yet most neglected) part of mathematicks, not before treated of in this language / by I.W. ... Wilkins, John, 1614-1672. 1648 (1648) Wing W2199; ESTC R227427 93,737 280

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and transient 1. The fixed are such as move only according to their severall parts and not according to their whole frame In which though each wheel hath a distinct rotation yet the whole doth still remain unmoved The chiefest kind of these are the clocks watches in ordinary use the framing of which is so commonly known by every Mechanick that I shall not trouble the Reader with any explication of it He that desires fuller satisfaction may see them particularly described by Cardan D. Flood and others The first invention of these saith Pancirollus was taken from that experiment in the multiplication of wheels mentioned in Vitruvius where he speaks of an instrument whereby a man may know how many miles or paces he doth goe in any space of time whether or no he doe passe by water in a boat or ship or by land in a chariot or coach they have been contrived also into little pocket instruments by which after a man hath walked a whole day together he may easily know how many steps he hath taken I forbear to enter upon a larger explication of these kind of Engines because they are impertinent unto the chief businesse that I have proposed for this discourse The Reader may see them more particularly described in the above cited place of Vitruvius in Cardan Bessonius and others I have here only mentioned them as being the first occasion of the chiefest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are now in use Of the same kind with our clocks and watches though perhaps more elaborate and subtle was that sphere invented by Archimedes which did represent the heavenly motions the diurnall and annuall courses of the sun the changes and aspects of the Moon c. This is frequently celebrated in the writings of the Ancients particularly in that known Epigram of Claudian Iupiter in parvo cum cerneret aethera vitro Risit ad superos talia dicta dedit Huccine mortalis progressa potentia curae Iam meus in fragili luditur orbe labor Iura poli rerumque fidem legesque Deorum Ecce Syracusius transtulit arte senex Inclusus variis famulatur spiritus astris Et vivum certis motibus urget opus Percurrit proprium mentitus Signifer annum Et simulata novo Cynthia mense redit Iamque suum volvens audax industria mundū Gaudet humanâ sidera mente regit Quid falso insontem tonitru Salmonea miror Aemula naturae parva reperta manus Excellently Translated by T. Randolph Iove saw the heavens fram'd in a little glasse And laughing to the gods these words did passe Comes then the power of mortall cares so far In brittle orbs my labours acted are The statutes of the Poles the faith of things The laws of Gods this Syracusian brings Hither by art Spirits inclos'd attend Their severall spheres and with set motions bend The living work each year the feigned Sun Each month returns the counterfeited Moon And viewing now her world bold industry Grows proud to know the heavens his subjects be Beleeve Salmoneus hath false thunders thrown For a poor hand is natures rivall grown But that this Engine should be made of glasse is scarce credible Lactantius mentioning the relation of it affirms it to consist of brasse which is more likely It may be the outside or case was glasse and the frame it self of brasse Coelius Rhodoginus speaking of the wondrous art in the contrivance of this sphere breaks out into this quaere Nonne igitur miraculorum omnium maximum miraculum est homo He might have said Mathematicus and another to this purpose Sic manus ejus naturam ut natura ipsa manum imitata putetur Pappus tels us that Archimedes writ a Book de Sphaeropoeia cōcerning the manner of framing such Engines and after him Posidonius composed another discourse on the same subject though now either the ignorance or the envy of time hath deprived us of both those works And yet the art it self is not quite perished for we read of divers the like contrivāces in these latter times Agrippa affirms that he himself had seen such a sphere Ramus tels us how he beheld two of them in Paris the one brought thither amongst other spoiles from Sicily and the other out of Germany And it is commonly reported that there is yet such a sphere at Strasburg in Germany Rivaltus relates how Marinus Burgesius a Norman made two of them in France for the King And perhaps these latter saith he were more exact then the former because the heavenly revolutions are now much better understood then before And besides it is questionable whether the use of steel springs was known in those ancient times the application of which unto these kind of spheres must needs be much more convenient then weights 'T is related also of the Consull Boethius that amongst other Mathematicall contrivances for which he was famous he made a sphere to represent the Suns motion which was so much admired and talked of in those times that Gundibaldus King of Burgundy did purposely send over Embassadors to Theodoricus the Emperour with intreaties that he would be a means to procure one of these spheres from Boethius the Emperor thinking hereby to make his kingdom more famous and terrible unto forain Nations doth write an Epistle to Boethius perswading him to send this instrument Quoties non sunt credituri quod viderint Quoties hanc veritatem lusoria somnia putabunt Et quando fuerint à stupore conversi non audedebunt se aequales nobis dicere apud quos sciunt sapientes talia cogitasse So much were all these kind of inventions admired in those ruder darker times whereas the instruments that are now in use amongst us though not so much extolled yet doe altogether equall if not exceed the other both in usefulnesse and subtilty The chiefest of these former Engines receiving their motion from weights and not from springs which as I said before are of later and more excellent invention The particular circumstances for which the Automata of this kind are most eminent may be reduced to these four 1. The lastingnesse of their motion without needing of any new supply for which purpose there have been some watches contrived to continue without winding up for a week together or longer 2. The easinesse and simplicity of their composition Art it self being but the facilitating and contracting of ordinary operations therefore the more easie and compendious such inventions are the more artificial should they be esteemed And the addition of any such unnecessary parts as may be supplied some other way is a sure sign of unskilfulnesse and ignorance Those antiquated engines that did consist of such a needlesse multitude of wheels and springs and screws like the old hypothesis of the heavens may be compared to the notions of a confused knowledge which are always full of perplexity and complications and seldome