An Accompt of Some Books

The great Trouts pass out of the Lake for four months of the Summer, and are taken in autumn when they are returning thither. The Fishing is farmed out at Geneva; and there are Conservatories where many of those big Trouts are kept, among which there are some that weigh fifty pounds. Sometimes they catch Pikes there of eighty pounds weight; and a pound weight at Geneva you know to be eighteen ounces. In the months of July and August they fish there for the Fry of Pearches, at a time when they are no bigger than the smallest taggs. These are a very delicious dish, there called Mille-Cantons. I shall add no more than put you in mind of that Duke of Savoy, who renounced his Crown and the Pontificate itself to pass deliciously the rest of his days at Ripailles, where he made so good cheer to all that visited him, that, to express a very merry entertainment, they say still, faire Ripailles. An Account of some Books. 1. LUX Mathematica, Collationibus Johannis Wallini S.Th. D. & Thomae Hobbesii Malmesburiensis, excussa: Multis & fulgentissimus acclaratis, Auth.R.R. Adjuncta Censura Doctrine Wallisiæ de Libra, una cum Roseto Hobbesii. Londini, pro Guil.Crook in vice vocato without Temple-bar, 1672. in 4°. The Author of this Book dedicated to the Royal Society, having told the Reader in the Preface, that he hath deduced the rise and occasion of the Disputes betwixt Dr.Wallis and Mr.Hobbes, and commended the many and difficult Propositions and Demonstrations, said to be advanced by the latter of them, and compared therewith those of Dr.Wallis; having also subjoined in the same the things that by Mr.Hobbes are judged manifest: Proceeds in the Body of the book to the Controversies themselves; endeavouring to vindicate Mr.Hobbes's Assertions from the Objections of Dr.Wallis, particularly those, that were published in N°. 73. and 75. of these Transactions; which Monthly Papers, (to touch that by the by;) this Author, by a great mistake, calls p. 36. the Transactions of the R.Society; whereas they are notoriously composed by a Single Person, who hath not only declared so much in several places of these Traits, and most solemnly in N°. 12. p. 213, 214; but also adds his very name to them in the Dedications of every years volume. The Controversies, by the Author enumerated, are 13. 1. De Rationum calculo per magnitudines Infinitas 2. De significatu vocis Rationis animae Mathematicae. 3. De Ratione rectanguli ad Parabolam, ad Paraboloides solidum, ad Parabolam Cubicalem, &c. ad alios Figuras ipsi inscriptas. 4. Utrum Numeri quadrati radix eadem sit cum Figuræ quadratae latere. 5. De Puncto, de Longitudine sine Latitudine; & an Angulus semi-circuli fit rectus? 6. D: 6. De Sectione linea recta extremâ & mediâ ratiâ. 7. De Polygonis regularibus. 8. De Æquatione linea Recta & Arcus circuli. 9. De Tangente arcus gradum 22 1/2. 10. De Prudentia ad studium Geometria necessaria. 11. De latere Icosaedri. 12. De Quadratura Circuli. 13. De natura Libra. A Reply to these Animadversions, being expected from the Person concerned, will probably be inserted in the next following Number. II. OPTIQUE de PORTRAITURE & PEINTURE, contenant la Perspective Speculative & Pratique accomplie, &c. Par Gregoire Huret, Desseignateur & Graveur Ordinaire de la Maison du Roy, & de l'Academie Royale de Peinture & Sculpture. A Paris, 1670. in Fol. This Elegant volume in French declareth the chief aim of its Author in the composition thereof to have been, to contribute what he could to the instruction and improvement of youth, studious of these excellent Arts, and groundedly to teach them the Rules and other means, that are really useful and absolutely necessary to them in the same, so that they may both make use of them, and discern them from abundance of false and imperfect ones, that he esteems, have been delivered to them in most of the Treatises hitherto made about this subject. In the performance of which, he divides this Volume into two parts: The First contains the accomplish't (for so he calls it) Practical Perspective, to represent the sumptuous Architectures of the most magnificent Buildings in Perspective, by two ways; the former shewing the means to arrive to a compleat exactness, but such as are only taught to inform the understanding, and not to be practised, if you will not: the latter containing the shortest and easiest means of all that have been publish't hitherto; and that for general practise, and all without using any point of distance nor Geometric plane. The Second part discourses of Speculative Perspective; viz. of the Demonstrations and Explications of the Fundamental Secrets of the Rules or Means contained in the First part; together with the most Curious and most Considerable Questions, that have been hitherto proposed upon this argument of Portraiture and Picture, with their Solutions. About the end of this Book the Author annexes an Accompt and some Remarques of his, concerning the Design of M. Desargues's Rough-draught of his Treatise of Coniques, entitled Lessons ae Tenebres. We must not omit to take notice here, that in the Extract of the Privilege given to this Book (pag. 159.) mention is made of two other Books Books composed by this same Author; entituled, 1. La Gnomonique Speculative & pratique, contenant les regles pour faire les Quadrans Solaires Astronomiques, Babylonique, Italique, & Ancienne Judaïque, & tous les cas qui leur sont appliqués. 2. La Section des Solides, Speculative & Pratique, appliquée à l'Art de l'Architecture, pour les constructions précises des Traits de la Coupe des Pierres, ou Voussoires de toutes sortes de Voutes, avec la déclaration entière des Secrets fondamentaux des dits Traits. III. Christiani Friderici Garmanni, Physici Chemnicensis, Academici Curiosi, HOMO EX OVO. Chemnitii, 1672. in 4°. This Author having collected what of late years hath been by divers curious Anatomists asserted and published concerning the Generation of other Animals, as well as of Fowl and Fish, out of Eggs; and taken with Kerkringius particular notice, tam Virgines quam Conjugatas sapissime Ova excernere (which he no more wonders at, than that Hens and other Birds are matres & tamen virgines;) having, I say, done that, he proceeds to consider the advantage of this Doctrine, and its happiness in explicating many phenomena, hardly explicable without it; such as are, the Production of more fœtus than one; the production of Monsters; the many odd Symptoms in Women, from the putrefaction or imperfect constitution of the Egg or Eggs, the Production of Mola's; Barrenness, &c. Having dispatched this, he takes occasion to examine this Question, An fieri Conceptio possit extra Uterum? Ubi nonnulla differuntur de Homunculo Chymico vive Paracelsico; quæ apud ipsum vide Authorem. IV. A short and sure Guide in the Practice of Raising and Ordering of FRUIT-TREES; by Francis Drope B.D. late Fellow of Magdalen College in Oxford. Printed at Oxford, 1672. This piece appearing by the Preface to have been writ from the Authors own Experience, we thought good here to take notice of it; and to recommend it to the perusal and examination of Ingenious and Industrious Planters, that they may compare with the already publish't writings of others upon this subject, and their own practice, the particulars insisted on in this Discourse; which are principally; 1. Of raising Stocks from the Seed; from which the best of Stocks, in the Authors opinion, are produced; together with particular directions to the best kind of ground to sow the respective seeds or stones in; and what grafts take on what stocks. 2. Of the Nursery or place where young Trees are to be brought up before the Transplantation into an Orchard. Here are cleared the difficulties about the choice of ground for the Nursery, and about the due ordering thereof before Planting. Then, the Work itself and the season thereof considered. Further, the earlier and late removal examined. Lastly, several circumstances, to be observed in the Planting, recommended. 3. Of Grafting, and the several ways thereof; together with the due Preparation and Time for it. Here the Author treats of Stock-or Cleft-grafting; of Whip-grafting, (otherwise called Packing or Splicing;) of Shot grafting, like the shooting of two pieces of timber, as in a Ship-mast, together; of a Peculiar way of grafting, much used by some of the best Nursery-men about London, here commended for its certainty and ease dispatch; of a singular way, tried by the Author, and by him esteemed the nearest and least dangerous and hurtful for the grafting of great Stocks. In this same Chapter is discoursed of Inarching, to be used in Trees, whose Cions will not be grafted if taken clean from the Tree, whereon they grew at the first: Where the Reader is taught, how in a year or two store of Aprecocks may be produced without Inoculation, by setting before-hand Plum-stocks round about an Aprecock-Tree at such a distance, as that they may be grafted by these ways of Inarching. 4. Certain Rules to be observed in and after Grafting; together with a censure of vulgar Graffers, that always pick off the side-buds, till such time as the Tree is high enough: Adding also some advertisements for the Choice of Grafts. 5. Of Inoculation, and the principal time for it; together with directions, what sort of Trees are first to be inoculated, which last, and which between both: As also, of the quickest and safest way of Inoculation; and of the Authors opinion concerning that manner of Inoculation, which is made without taking away the wood from within the Escutcheons. To which are added instructions concerning the fittest Weather for inoculating; and how to prevent mischief by much heat, drought, and hard winter; as likewise a mark whereby to know, whether the bud have taken or no. All which is concluded with an assignment of the Cause, why the greatest part of Trees yield better and fairer fruit through Infection, than when permitted to bear from Seed? The determination of which is here attempted to be made by comparing Trees and Animals, and by the consideration of the manner of Nutrition in the latter. 6. Of Stocks raised without Seed, and Trees without Infection: concerning which the Author delivers some things concerning Stocks procured out of the Woods, and Suckers from the Roots of Trees, where Seedlings cannot be obtained. To which are added the ways of propagating Trees by Layers; as also by Roots left in the ground. Advertisement. It was thought fit, herewith to give the Reader notice, that the next of these Tracts will not come abroad till the end of October next. LONDON, Printed for John Martyn, printer to the Royal-Society, 1672.