1perſed thorow the Lake, it ſhall maintain the waters in the ſame,
and in the Chanels much higher, as I ſhall prove hereafter; a
thing that will make Navigation commodious; and that, which
moreover is of great moment in our buſineſſe; thoſe Shelves
of Mud which now diſcover themſelves at the time of Low
Waters ſhall be alwayes covered, ſo that the putrefaction of
the Air ſhall alſo be remedied.
and in the Chanels much higher, as I ſhall prove hereafter; a
thing that will make Navigation commodious; and that, which
moreover is of great moment in our buſineſſe; thoſe Shelves
of Mud which now diſcover themſelves at the time of Low
Waters ſhall be alwayes covered, ſo that the putrefaction of
the Air ſhall alſo be remedied.
And laſtly, this abundance of Water being alwayes to diſ
charge it ſelf into the Sea by the Ports, I do not doubt, but that
their bottomes will be ſcoured. And that theſe effects muſt fol
low, Nature her ſelf ſeemeth to perſwade, there remaining onely
one great doubt, whether that abundance of Water that ſhall be
brought into the Lake may be really ſufficient to make the Wa
ters riſe ſo much as to keep the Shelves covered, and to facilitate
Navigation, which ought to be at leaſt half a ^{*} Brace, or there
abouts. And indeed it ſeemeth at firſt ſight to be impoſſible,
that the ſole Water of the ^{*} Brent let into the Lake, and diſ
perſed over the ſame, can occaſion ſo notable an height of water;
and the more to confirm the difficulties, one might ſay, reducing
the reaſon to calculation, that in caſe the Brent were 40. Bra
ces broad, and two and an half high, and the breadth of the
Lake were 20000. Braces, it would ſeem neceſſary that the
height of the water of the Brent dilated and diſtended thorow
the Lake would be but onely 1/200 of a Brace in height, which is
imperceptible, and would be of no avail to our purpoſe; nay
more, it being very certain that the Brent runneth very muddy
and foul, this would occaſion very great miſchief, filling and
contracting the Lake, and for that reaſon this remedy ought, as
pernicious, to be totally excluded and condemned.
charge it ſelf into the Sea by the Ports, I do not doubt, but that
their bottomes will be ſcoured. And that theſe effects muſt fol
low, Nature her ſelf ſeemeth to perſwade, there remaining onely
one great doubt, whether that abundance of Water that ſhall be
brought into the Lake may be really ſufficient to make the Wa
ters riſe ſo much as to keep the Shelves covered, and to facilitate
Navigation, which ought to be at leaſt half a ^{*} Brace, or there
abouts. And indeed it ſeemeth at firſt ſight to be impoſſible,
that the ſole Water of the ^{*} Brent let into the Lake, and diſ
perſed over the ſame, can occaſion ſo notable an height of water;
and the more to confirm the difficulties, one might ſay, reducing
the reaſon to calculation, that in caſe the Brent were 40. Bra
ces broad, and two and an half high, and the breadth of the
Lake were 20000. Braces, it would ſeem neceſſary that the
height of the water of the Brent dilated and diſtended thorow
the Lake would be but onely 1/200 of a Brace in height, which is
imperceptible, and would be of no avail to our purpoſe; nay
more, it being very certain that the Brent runneth very muddy
and foul, this would occaſion very great miſchief, filling and
contracting the Lake, and for that reaſon this remedy ought, as
pernicious, to be totally excluded and condemned.
* A Venice Brace
is 11/16 of our yard.
is 11/16 of our yard.
* A River of
that name.
that name.
I here confeſſe that I am ſurprized at the forme of the Argu
ment, as if I were in a certain manner convinced, that I dare not
adventure to ſay more, or open my mouth in this matter; but
the ſtrength it ſelf of the Argument, as being founded upon
the means of Geometrical and Arithmetical Calculation, hath
opened me the way to diſcover a very crafty fraud that is couch
ed in the ſame Argument, which fraud I will make out to any
one that hath but any inſight in Geometry and Arithmetick.
And as it is impoſſible, that ſuch an argument ſhould be produced
by any but ſuch as have taſted of theſe, in ſuch affairs, moſt pro
fitable, and moſt neceſſary Sciences; ſo do not I pretend to make
my ſelf underſtood, ſave onely by ſuch, to whom I will evince
ſo clearly, as that more it cannot be deſired, the errour and fraud
wherein thoſe Ancients and Moderns have been, and alwayes
are intangled, that have in any way yet handled this matter of
conſidering the Meaſure and Quantity of the Waters that move.
ment, as if I were in a certain manner convinced, that I dare not
adventure to ſay more, or open my mouth in this matter; but
the ſtrength it ſelf of the Argument, as being founded upon
the means of Geometrical and Arithmetical Calculation, hath
opened me the way to diſcover a very crafty fraud that is couch
ed in the ſame Argument, which fraud I will make out to any
one that hath but any inſight in Geometry and Arithmetick.
And as it is impoſſible, that ſuch an argument ſhould be produced
by any but ſuch as have taſted of theſe, in ſuch affairs, moſt pro
fitable, and moſt neceſſary Sciences; ſo do not I pretend to make
my ſelf underſtood, ſave onely by ſuch, to whom I will evince
ſo clearly, as that more it cannot be deſired, the errour and fraud
wherein thoſe Ancients and Moderns have been, and alwayes
are intangled, that have in any way yet handled this matter of
conſidering the Meaſure and Quantity of the Waters that move.