1a natural Curioſitie, do frequentlie for my Recreation viſit that
place, and confer with theſe perſons; which for a certain prehe
minence that they have above the reſt we call ^{*} Overſeers: whoſe
diſcourſe hath oft helped me in the inveſtigation of not only won
derful, but abſtruce, and incredible Effects: and indeed I have been
at a loſſe ſometimes, and deſpaired to penetrate how that could
poſſibly come to paſſe, which far from all expectation my ſenſes
demonſtrated to be true; and yet that which not long ſince that
good Old man told us, is a ſaying and propoſition, though com
mon enough, yet in my opinion wholly vain, as are many others,
often in the mouths of unskilful perſons; introduced by them, as
I ſuppoſe, to ſhew that they underſtand how to ſpeak ſomething
about that, of which nevertheleſſe they are incapable.
place, and confer with theſe perſons; which for a certain prehe
minence that they have above the reſt we call ^{*} Overſeers: whoſe
diſcourſe hath oft helped me in the inveſtigation of not only won
derful, but abſtruce, and incredible Effects: and indeed I have been
at a loſſe ſometimes, and deſpaired to penetrate how that could
poſſibly come to paſſe, which far from all expectation my ſenſes
demonſtrated to be true; and yet that which not long ſince that
good Old man told us, is a ſaying and propoſition, though com
mon enough, yet in my opinion wholly vain, as are many others,
often in the mouths of unskilful perſons; introduced by them, as
I ſuppoſe, to ſhew that they underſtand how to ſpeak ſomething
about that, of which nevertheleſſe they are incapable.
* Proti.
The Opinion of
Common Artificers
are often falſe.
Common Artificers
are often falſe.
SALV. It may be Sir, you ſpeak of that laſt propoſition which
he affirmed, when we deſired to underſtand, why they made
ſo much greater proviſion of ſupporters, and other proviſions,
and reinforcements about that Galeaſſe, which was to be launcht
than is made about leſſer Veſſels, and he anſwered us, that they did
ſo to avoid the peril of breaking its Keel, through the mighty
weight of its vaſt bulk, an inconvenience to which leſſer ſhips are
not subject.
he affirmed, when we deſired to underſtand, why they made
ſo much greater proviſion of ſupporters, and other proviſions,
and reinforcements about that Galeaſſe, which was to be launcht
than is made about leſſer Veſſels, and he anſwered us, that they did
ſo to avoid the peril of breaking its Keel, through the mighty
weight of its vaſt bulk, an inconvenience to which leſſer ſhips are
not subject.
Great Ships apter
than others to break
their Keels in
Launching, accor
ding to ſome.
than others to break
their Keels in
Launching, accor
ding to ſome.
SAGR. I do intend the ſame, and chiefly that laſt concluſion,
which he added to his others, and which I alwaies eſteemed a vain
conceit of the Vulgar, namely, That in theſe and other Machines
we muſt not argue from the leſſe to the greater, becauſe many
Mechanical Inventions take in little, which hold not in great. But
being that all the Reaſons of the Mechanicks, have their founda
tions from Geometry; in which I ſee not that greatneſſe and
ſmalneſſe make Circles, Triangles, Cilinders, Cones, or any other
ſolid Figures ſubject to different paſſions: when the great Ma
chine is conformed in all its members to the proportions of the
leſſe that is uſeful, and fit for exerciſe to which it is deſigned; I
cannot ſee why it alſo ſhould not be exempt from the unlucky,
ſiniſter, and deſtructive accidents that may befall it.
which he added to his others, and which I alwaies eſteemed a vain
conceit of the Vulgar, namely, That in theſe and other Machines
we muſt not argue from the leſſe to the greater, becauſe many
Mechanical Inventions take in little, which hold not in great. But
being that all the Reaſons of the Mechanicks, have their founda
tions from Geometry; in which I ſee not that greatneſſe and
ſmalneſſe make Circles, Triangles, Cilinders, Cones, or any other
ſolid Figures ſubject to different paſſions: when the great Ma
chine is conformed in all its members to the proportions of the
leſſe that is uſeful, and fit for exerciſe to which it is deſigned; I
cannot ſee why it alſo ſhould not be exempt from the unlucky,
ſiniſter, and deſtructive accidents that may befall it.
SALV The ſaying of the Vulgar is abſolutely vain, and ſo
falſe, that its contrary may be affirmed with equal truth, ſaying,
That many Machines may be made more perfect in great than lit
tle: As for inſtance, a Clock that ſhews and ſtrikes the Houres,
may be made more exact in one certain ſize, than in another leſſe.
With better ground is that ſame concluſion uſurped by other more
intelligent perſons, who refer the cauſe of ſuch effects in theſe
great Machines different from what is collected from the pure, and
abſtracted Demonſtrations of Geometry, to the imperfection of
the matter, which is ſubject to many alterations, and defects.
But here, I know not whether I may without contracting ſome
falſe, that its contrary may be affirmed with equal truth, ſaying,
That many Machines may be made more perfect in great than lit
tle: As for inſtance, a Clock that ſhews and ſtrikes the Houres,
may be made more exact in one certain ſize, than in another leſſe.
With better ground is that ſame concluſion uſurped by other more
intelligent perſons, who refer the cauſe of ſuch effects in theſe
great Machines different from what is collected from the pure, and
abſtracted Demonſtrations of Geometry, to the imperfection of
the matter, which is ſubject to many alterations, and defects.
But here, I know not whether I may without contracting ſome