Harriot, Thomas, Mss. 6789

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821
821 (411r) 		822
822 (411v)
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823 (412r) 		824
824 (412v)
825
825 (413r) 		826
826 (413v)
827
827 (414r) 		828
828 (414v)
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829 (415r) 		830
830 (415v)
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              <s xml:space="preserve">[
                <emph style="bf">Commentary:</emph>
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              <s xml:space="preserve"> Unfortunately, the opening of this letter is now lost.
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              In it, Lower requests help with his reading of Kepler.
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              He also asks for help with understanding some problems from Viète. He has evidently already received some notes from Harriot on one or both of the Appendices to Viète's
                <emph style="it">Apollonius Gallus</emph>
              (1600); see Add MS 6785, f. 64, f. 64v, f. 355, and Add MS 6784, f. 331. Here Lower asks in particular about Problem V from Appendix II: </s>
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              <quote xml:lang="lat">
                <s xml:space="preserve"> Dato triangulo, invenire punctum, a quo ad apices dati trianguli actae tres lineae rectae imperatam teneant rationem.</s>
              </quote>
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              <quote>
                <s xml:space="preserve"> Given a triangle, to find a point from which there may be drawn three straight lines to the apices of the given triangle, keeping a fixed ratio.</s>
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              <s xml:space="preserve">]</s>
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            <s xml:space="preserve">& in mars is too longe & in some of the other
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            planets may be longe againe so in thos commets that
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            did
              <emph style="super">appeare</emph>
            fixed the ellipsis may be neere a right </s>
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          <p>
            <s xml:space="preserve"> 3. his phansie of
              <foreign xml:lang="lat">ecliptica media</foreign>
            or his
              <foreign xml:lang="lat">via regia</foreign>
            of the
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            sun. [???] such the walke of al the other planets is obliq
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            more or lesse; each ther
              <foreign xml:lang="lat">ecliptica vera</foreign>
            under which the
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            earth walkes his [???] [???]; by which he solves
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            handsomelie the [???] of the starres latitudes.
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            Indeed I am much delighted with his booke but he is
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            so tough in manie places as I cannot bite him. I
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            pray write me some instructions in your next,
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            how I may deale with him to once master him
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            for I am readie to take paines.
              <foreign xml:lang="lat">te modo jura</foreign>
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              <foreign xml:lang="lat">dantem [???] indigeo, dictatorem exposco</foreign>
            .
              <lb/>
            But on his booke I am much out of love with thes
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            particulars. 1. his manie and intollerable
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            atechnics. whence derive thos manie & uncertaine as-
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            sayes of calculation. 2. his finding fault with
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            Vieta for mending the like things in Ptol: Cop: etc.
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            but se the iustice Vieta speakes slightlie of Co-
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            pernicus a greater then Atlas. Kepler speakes as
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            slightlie of Vieta, a greater then Appollonius whom
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            Kepler [???] much admires. for whosoever can
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            doe thos things that Kepler cannot doe, shalbe
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            to him great Appollonius. but enough of Kepler
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            let me once againe entreate your counsel how
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            to read him with best profit, for I am wholie
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            possessed with Astronomical speculations & desires.
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            for your declaration of Vieta's appendicle it is so
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            full and plaine as you have aboundantlie satisfyed
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            my desire. for such I yield you the thankes
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            I ought. onlie in a worde tell me whether by it
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            he can solve Copernicus, 5 cap: of his 5 </s>
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