1Secondly, doubting, by reaſon of my ſmall experience in Maratine
Affairs, to incurre ſome Soleciſme: but there coming into my mind
an excellent expreſſion of a famous Philoſopher of this Renowned
City; who upon a time perſwading me to write ſomething that
was new, and I having anſwered (it being incident for humanly to
erre) that I was afraid leaſt my ſo great deſire to publiſh my fund y
new Conjectures, might run me into ſome fantaſtical conceits, that
might make me become the ſubject of vulgar diſcourſe, this
lent perſon replied: That if Nature ſhould forbear her operations for
fear of producing ſometimes ſome monſtrous things, the worlds
ſtruction would enſue, for that they onely are free from erring who
do nothing, whoſe ſpeech hath emboldened me to ſpeak of a point,
which I never thought to have medled with; namely, To declare
ſome of my conjectural wayes of artificial diving, and continuing
under water, to ſeek out any thing that was ſunk in the ſame, though
in places very deep. And I judge theſe the moſt expedient that can
be deviſed: and becauſe theſe and the like wayes may be varied
into ſeveral forms, and ſorts, one more ingenious, and artificial than
another; the prettieſt, and moſt ingenious is this, I would have you
get, made at Murano, a hollow Globe of Tranſparent Glaſſe, the
ameter of which I would have to be at leaſt two foot, with a round
mouth, that the Diameter of the ſaid mouth may be at leaſt one
foot, or wrather more; that is, ſo much as one may eaſily put his
head therein, and at pleaſure draw it forth; and next you muſt
make two round Boards of a Diameter ſomething bigger then that
of the ſaid Globe, and with theſe two round Boards, and four
der pieces of Wood, as long as a man is high, and a little more, you
muſt make a little Modell for a man to ſtand betwixt theſe four
ces of Wood; and with one of the round Boards above, and the
ther beneath; and theſe round Boards are to be very faſt nailed or
otherwiſe faſtened to the four pieces of the Frame, and in the top of
this Machine, you muſt fit and fix the ſaid Sphere of Glaſſe with the
mouth downwards, ſo, that if a man ſtand upright in the ſaid Frame,
he may hold his head in the ſaid glaſſe without ſtooping. And this
being done, take neer upon as much Lead as all this Machine weighs,
and make it into a round figure, of the compaſſe of the round
Boards, and then faſten and nail it to the bottome of the ſaid
dell, namely, underneath the lowermoſt Board on which your feet
ſtand when you put it into the Water: And then, (or before)
make an hole as big as a Shilling in the Centre of this Lead and
Board, paſſing through them both; and this ſame Lead will be able
to draw almoſt all the Machine together with him that ſhall be
therein under Water. Truth is, that the Experiment requireth that
the ſaid Lead be ſo limitted that it may be able to draw the
Affairs, to incurre ſome Soleciſme: but there coming into my mind
an excellent expreſſion of a famous Philoſopher of this Renowned
City; who upon a time perſwading me to write ſomething that
was new, and I having anſwered (it being incident for humanly to
erre) that I was afraid leaſt my ſo great deſire to publiſh my fund y
new Conjectures, might run me into ſome fantaſtical conceits, that
might make me become the ſubject of vulgar diſcourſe, this
lent perſon replied: That if Nature ſhould forbear her operations for
fear of producing ſometimes ſome monſtrous things, the worlds
ſtruction would enſue, for that they onely are free from erring who
do nothing, whoſe ſpeech hath emboldened me to ſpeak of a point,
which I never thought to have medled with; namely, To declare
ſome of my conjectural wayes of artificial diving, and continuing
under water, to ſeek out any thing that was ſunk in the ſame, though
in places very deep. And I judge theſe the moſt expedient that can
be deviſed: and becauſe theſe and the like wayes may be varied
into ſeveral forms, and ſorts, one more ingenious, and artificial than
another; the prettieſt, and moſt ingenious is this, I would have you
get, made at Murano, a hollow Globe of Tranſparent Glaſſe, the
ameter of which I would have to be at leaſt two foot, with a round
mouth, that the Diameter of the ſaid mouth may be at leaſt one
foot, or wrather more; that is, ſo much as one may eaſily put his
head therein, and at pleaſure draw it forth; and next you muſt
make two round Boards of a Diameter ſomething bigger then that
of the ſaid Globe, and with theſe two round Boards, and four
der pieces of Wood, as long as a man is high, and a little more, you
muſt make a little Modell for a man to ſtand betwixt theſe four
ces of Wood; and with one of the round Boards above, and the
ther beneath; and theſe round Boards are to be very faſt nailed or
otherwiſe faſtened to the four pieces of the Frame, and in the top of
this Machine, you muſt fit and fix the ſaid Sphere of Glaſſe with the
mouth downwards, ſo, that if a man ſtand upright in the ſaid Frame,
he may hold his head in the ſaid glaſſe without ſtooping. And this
being done, take neer upon as much Lead as all this Machine weighs,
and make it into a round figure, of the compaſſe of the round
Boards, and then faſten and nail it to the bottome of the ſaid
dell, namely, underneath the lowermoſt Board on which your feet
ſtand when you put it into the Water: And then, (or before)
make an hole as big as a Shilling in the Centre of this Lead and
Board, paſſing through them both; and this ſame Lead will be able
to draw almoſt all the Machine together with him that ſhall be
therein under Water. Truth is, that the Experiment requireth that
the ſaid Lead be ſo limitted that it may be able to draw the
zoom in
zoom out
zoom area
full page
page width
set mark
remove mark
get reference
digilib