Salusbury, Thomas, Mathematical collections and translations (Tome I), 1667
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              <s>
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              Contact in a
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              gle point is not
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              culiar to the
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              fect Spheres onely?
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              </s>
              <s>but belongeth to all
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              curved figures.
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              <s>
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              It is more
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              cult to find Figures
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              that touch with a
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              part of their
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              face, than in one
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              ſole point.
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              <s>SIMP. </s>
              <s>You believe then, that two ſtones, or two pieces of
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              ron taken at chance, and put together, do for the moſt part touch
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              in one ſole point?</s>
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              <s>SALV. </s>
              <s>In caſual encounters, I do not think they do; as well
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              becauſe for the moſt part there will be ſome ſmall yielding filth
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              upon them, as becauſe that no diligence is uſed in applying them
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              without ſtriking one another; and every ſmall matter ſufficeth to
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              make the one ſuperficies yield ſomewhat to the other; ſo that
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              they interchangeably, at leaſt in ſome ſmall particle, receive ſigure
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              from the impreſſion of each other. </s>
              <s>But in caſe their ſuperficies
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              were very terſe and polite, and that they were both laid upon a
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              table, that ſo one might not preſſe upon the other, and gently put
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              towards one another, I queſtion not, but that they might be
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              brought to the ſimple contact in one onely point.</s>
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              <s>SAGR. </s>
              <s>It is requiſite, with your permiſſion, that I propound a
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              certain ſcruple of mine, which came into my minde, whil'ſt I heard
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              propoſed by
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              Simplicius,
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              the impoſſibility of finding a materiall
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              and ſolid body, that is, perfectly of a Spherical figure, and whil'ſt
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              J law
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              Salviatus
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              in a certain manner, not gainſaying, to give his
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              conſent thereto; therefore I would know, whether there would
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              be the ſame difficulty in forming a ſolid of ſome other figure, that
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              is, to expreſſe my ſelf better, whether there is more difficulty in
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              reducing a piece of Marble into the figure of a perfect Sphere, than
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              into a perfect Pyramid, or into a perfect Horſe, or into a perfect
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              Graſſe-hopper?</s>
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              <s>SALV. </s>
              <s>To this I will make you the firſt anſwer: and in the
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              firſt place, I will acquit my ſelf of the aſſent which you think I
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              gave to
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              Simplicius,
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              which was only for a time; for I had it alſo in
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              my thoughts, betore I intended to enter upon any other matter, to
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              ſpeak that, which, it may be, is the ſame, or very like to that which
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              you are about to ſay, And anſwering to your firſt queſtion, I ſay,
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              that if any figure can be given to a Solid, the Spherical is the
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              eſt of all others, as it is likewiſe the moſt ſimple, and holdeth the
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              ſame place amongſt ſolid figures, as the Circle holdeth amongſt
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              the ſuperficial. </s>
              <s>The deſcription of which Circle, as being more
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              ſie than all the reſt, hath alone been judged by
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              Mathematicians
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              worthy to be put amongſt the ^{*}
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              poſtulata
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              belonging to the
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              ption of all other figures. </s>
              <s>And the formation of the Sphere is
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              ſo very eaſie, that if in a plain plate of hard metal you take an
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              empty or hollow circle, within which any Solid goeth caſually
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              volving that was before but groſly rounded, it ſhall, without any
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              other artifice be reduced to a Spherical figure, as perfect as is
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              ſible for it to be; provided, that that ſame Solid be not leſſe than
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              the Sphere that would paſſe thorow that Circle. </s>
              <s>And that which is
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              yet more worthy of our conſideration is, that within the ſelf-ſame </s>
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