861431r
[Commentary:
As in his letter of 6 February 1610, Lower is again concerned with problem 5 from Appendix II of
Viète's Apollonius Gallus. ]
I so overwhelmed you the last time with a longe
letter, as it is iust I should make you amends
now with one as shorte. to send you none att all
(which perchance had been lost consideringe the use you
have of all your time) I could not consent unto,
out of the addiction and delighte I have to be still con
versinge with you. therfore I will onlie signifie
how it is with us and so an end. my course of cal-
culation I have stopte untill I heare from you; the two
greate causes of my stay I declared in my last let
ters. I fell since into Vieta's last probleme of his
second apendicle Apol: Gal: and compared his way with
yours that you last gave me: but to confesse a
truth I can have my will of neither; and the
probleme appeares to me not universall but requires
determination. for let the, given, have the same
sides, . . that Vieta's hath and lett, , . be the
same that Vieta gives; now I will give a,
that shall have thos sides, so it shalbe impossible
to finde anie pointe, from whence lines drawen unto
the corners be in the given rate. and that is by
givein a, . with the same sides . . but onlie such a
position as the [angle] be or then Vieta's [angle] . in such measure
as Vieta's two circles doe neither cut nor touch. this
rubbe put me out of this course. whereuppon I betooke
me to your problemes for the distinguishinge of the sides
of les whether the summe or difference of the sides
and the angle adjacente or contained with the other
side were given. in this I proceed still with much
pleasure and satisfaction. I have also putt in order
all thos propositions which you also gave me, but I
had copied in lose papers & with ill diagrammes
so that all those thinges stand well and so I thanke god
doe we also. Excepte my catle which have all this
winter been persecuted wiht the Murraine. since
Christmas verie neare I have lost, 100. beasts; Vieta's
sacrifice to the witch Melusina for the invention of our probleme. but
I scarce keepe my promise with you. farewell.
I am all yours. Willm.
letter, as it is iust I should make you amends
now with one as shorte. to send you none att all
(which perchance had been lost consideringe the use you
have of all your time) I could not consent unto,
out of the addiction and delighte I have to be still con
versinge with you. therfore I will onlie signifie
how it is with us and so an end. my course of cal-
culation I have stopte untill I heare from you; the two
greate causes of my stay I declared in my last let
ters. I fell since into Vieta's last probleme of his
second apendicle Apol: Gal: and compared his way with
yours that you last gave me: but to confesse a
truth I can have my will of neither; and the
probleme appeares to me not universall but requires
determination. for let the, given, have the same
sides, . . that Vieta's hath and lett, , . be the
same that Vieta gives; now I will give a,
that shall have thos sides, so it shalbe impossible
to finde anie pointe, from whence lines drawen unto
the corners be in the given rate. and that is by
givein a, . with the same sides . . but onlie such a
position as the [angle] be or then Vieta's [angle] . in such measure
as Vieta's two circles doe neither cut nor touch. this
rubbe put me out of this course. whereuppon I betooke
me to your problemes for the distinguishinge of the sides
of les whether the summe or difference of the sides
and the angle adjacente or contained with the other
side were given. in this I proceed still with much
pleasure and satisfaction. I have also putt in order
all thos propositions which you also gave me, but I
had copied in lose papers & with ill diagrammes
so that all those thinges stand well and so I thanke god
doe we also. Excepte my catle which have all this
winter been persecuted wiht the Murraine. since
Christmas verie neare I have lost, 100. beasts; Vieta's
sacrifice to the witch Melusina for the invention of our probleme. but
I scarce keepe my promise with you. farewell.
I am all yours. Willm.
Tra'venti; 3.
April.
April.