An Accompt of Some Books

An Accomp Of some Books. 1. THOMÆ HOBBIUS Quadratura Circuli, Cubatio Spha- re Duplicatio Cubi, confutata, Auth. JOHANNIS WALLIS S. T. D. Geometriae Professore Savilianæ, Oxon. 1669. in 4°. When the Publisher intended to give notice to the World of Mr. Hobbs's Book very lately come abroad, con- cerning the Quadrature of the Circle &c., he soon found another, containing both that and the Confutation of it together. The Author of this Confutation observeth two grand mis- takes in Mr. Hobbs's Tract; the first in the Demonstration of his first Proposition, where these words, *Aut ergo in Trian- gulo ACG, triangulum rectangulum, cujus vertex sit A, aqua- le Sectori ACL sumi nullum potest; aut PQL, CYP, sunt aqualia*, are upon our Authors Examination not at all pro- v'd, nor true. It seems, M. Hobbs had only prov'd, That If PQL, CYP, be equal, Then such a Triangle may be; but not the Converse, If those be not equall, then such a Triangle can- not be. For, if PQL be not equall, but a little bigger than CYP; and consequently, the Right-angled Triangle AYQ so much bigger than the Sector ACL; it is manifest, that a Line drawn parallel to the Base QY, a little nearer to the Vertex A, may cut off a like Right-angled Triangle (a little less than AYQ) which may be equall to the Sector ACL. Besides this (which overthrows all, in the examiners Judge- ment) the other great mistake of M. Hobbs is alledged to be in the Demonstration of the second Proposition; where (sup- posing by the first Proposition a square found equall to a Circle) he argues, That, because the Square takes in as much of what is left out by the Circle, as the Circle takes in of what is left out by the Square; therefore a Cube answering to that Square, compard with a Sphere answering to that Circle, will do so too: (which would have been well argued, saith the Examiner, of a Cylinder on that Circle, of equall height with a Cube.) that Square; but not so of a Sphere.) So that he seems here to have mistaken a Cylinder for a Sphere. Besides these two (which do influence all that follows) Mr Hobbes also, in his 2d Figure, supposeth (untruly, faith Dr Wallis) without proof, That (on the common Center A) the Arches drawn by Y. O. h, will cut the Line A G in the same points b, c, l, where the straight Lines e b, z c, k l, (parallel to C G) do cut the said Line A G: (which do influence all those Propositions, which depend on these Suppositions.) Other particular mistakes observed by our Author are here omitted. N. On this occasion the Reader is made acquainted, that all the works of Dr Wallis, which of late have been scarce, are now to be had at the Shop of Moses Pitt Bookseller at the White Heart in Little Brittain. II. HISTORIA GERAL DE ETHIOPIA A ALTA, Em Conimbra A. 1660, in fol. This History written in the Portuguese Language, as it is now moulded, by Padre Balthezar Tellez, Provincial of the Jesuits of Portugal, out of that of Padre Mansel d' Almeyda, was not seen, I think, herein England before now, an Exemplar of it having been lately transmitted and presented to the R. Society from Lisbon by Padre Hieronymo Lobo (one of the same order) by the care of Sir Robert Southwell Knight, his Majesties Envoy Extraordinary to that Court. Passing by the accompt and relations given in this Book concerning the kingdoms and Provinces, comprehended under the Abyssin Empire, and its customs, Government, Militia, Cities, Revenues, Emperors, Religion, Discoveries and pretended Conversions there made by the Portuguese, together with the Contradictions and Disappointments, which those of Religious Orders have met with in that Empire; We shall only take notice here of the Heads it contains of a Philosophical nature: Concerning which there is to be found a good description of the true Head and Course of the River Nile together with a plaine Mapp thereof, as also of the Lake Dembea, through which which the said River passeth, and of all the Cataracts of it; and then of the Climate, and Temperature, Mountains, Fertility, Herbs, Trees, Animals Wild and Tame, and the inclinations of the inhabitants; besides, of the Red Sea, and the reason of its Appellation: Touching which particulars we must not here enlarge, but remit the Reader to the Book itself; or (since Copies of it are difficult to be had) to the Relations lately English'd by Sir Peter Wych, and printed for Mr John Martyn; wherein the main passages, which concern the Natural productions and other Curious Observables of that vast Country, are described. III. An HISTORICAL ESSAY Endeavouring a Probability, That the LANGUAGE of CHINA is the Primitive Language; by John Webb Esquire. Printed for Nath. Brook in London, 1669. in 8o. This surprising Essay attempts to make it out from Authorities, Judged by the Writer thereof unquestionable, That the Chinese have been a people, ever since the Flood of Noah and before the Confusion of Tongues (at which they were not present in his opinion;) That their Language hath continually in all times, from their first beginning of being a Nation, been preserv'd in written Books; That the Characters, wherein those Books be written, are the self same, which from all Antiquity were extracted from their Original Hieroglyphicks; That in those Characters their Language hath ever since consisted, and, according to them, is at this present day spoken purely; and that by the same Characters their Language is generally understood through the whole Chinese world: From all which, considered together, the Author concludes, that the Mother or Natural-Language of China remaines in its Antient purity without any alteration. How credible the Allegations here deliver'd, and how cogent the Discourses and Inferences, grounded thereon, are, we must leave to the Judgement of the sagacious Reader; and shall only further take notice of the singular diligence of this Author in collecting occasionally and abbreviating many of the most remarkable markable Observations of China recorded by the best Writers of that Empire. E.g. That the Chinese have had the Use of Letters longer by far than any other people; that the remote parts of Asia were planted before the dispersion of Babel; that China was the first planted Country after the Flood; that those Plantations were undertaken and settled before the removal of Shinar (the plains where Babel was a building); that the Chinese have diffused themselves to Corea, Japan, Java, Ceylon, Siam, Cambori, and Madagascar, if not Mexico, itself; that the China wall hath lasted near 2000 years, and yet is not injured by time; that the Tartars are become Chinese, not these Tartars, to the preservation of the Mother-tongue of China; that the Chinese have subsisted 4000 years without any commixture with other Nations; that Commerce and Conquest have had no influence to change the Laws, Customs, or Language of that people; that the Historical Computation of the Chinese begins from 2207 years before Christ, which falls out with the 40th year before the Confusion of Tongues; that no Nation in the world is comparable to them for certainty in Chronology, &c. And as to their Ingenuities and Arts, he notes, That the Loadstone and Compass hath been in use among them above 1100 years, and Paper and Ink-making, above 180 years, both before Christ; that they prepare Ink of the smoke of oyle; that they have been long acquainted with the Invention of Gunpowder, and Fireworks, as also with the Manufacture of making and dying of Silk, invented by one of their Empresses; that their Potters mystery and the manner of making Porcelain vessels excels all other practises of that kind; and that they themselves do so much esteem it, as that they will not be served in Plate; that the Earth for making Porcelaine is to be had in the sole Province of Nanking, but that there they cannot make any Vessels of it, (whether it be from the quality of the water or wood, or ten per of the fire, is not known;) but must transport it to Sinclisimo in the Province of Kiangsi; that that Earth is very leane, fine, and shining like Sand, which they temper in water to reduce into the fashion of little square lumps; that they prepare and fashion it almost after the same manner as the Italians do make their Faenza-dishes, or as the Hollanders, in making their White Potters-work; that they make use of Potters or Wood in painting their work with blew; but that for all this knowledge there remains still something, necessary to make these vessels right, which they keep very secret, so much that he passeth amongst them for one of the greatest Criminals, that reveals this Art to any but his own Children. Lastly, as to their Art of Printing, which was invented among them about 50 years after Christ, their manner is, That they cut their Letters with an instrument of Iron, (as we doe Wood-prints) upon some fit wood; lightly gluing the Written Copy thereon, whereby their Books are free from Errata's. They are very dextrous at it, and will cut a whole sheet, as soon as a Composer with us can set one; and one man will print off 1500, in a day. They have also this conveniency, that their Forms may be laid by for as many impressions as they please, and in the mean time print off no more copies, than they find sale for, &c. IV. An EXAMEN of the way of TEACHING THE LATIN TONGUE by Vse alone. Englished out of French, and printed for Mr Martyn in London, 1669, in 12°. As Montaigne learnt the Latin tongue by Vse alone, his Father having placed him in his Child-hood with such persons as spake nothing but that Language with him; so does the Author of this Book undertake to shew, that without much difficulty the like may be done with others, confirming what he saith, first, by an Example of a Boy, who having been bred, as soon as he was wean'd, (which was at the 22th month of his Age) like Montaigne, speaks Latin frankly and properly, being hardly four years old, and hath been seen by the King and all the Court at Paris: secondly by two other Children, both very young, that are entered into the same conduct, and in a very hopeful way of success. To which the Author subjoins a Discourse of the great Vsefulness of this Method, the main advantage of it being, that Children may employ in Learning Arts and and Sciences, all that time, which they spend in acquiring the Latin Tongue. Advertisements, 1. The Reader is desired, to insert in Numb.47. p.951. sect. 10. after these words, Why it goes too fast, this Note (as it may happen, when by some accident the Cheeks retaine not their proper figures.) And now if it should be said, that upon any foulness the Watch will goe faster by reason of the shorter Vibrations of the Pendulum, it is to be considered, That this is only true when the Watches have no Cheeks, but when they have them (as in those hitherto used) 'tis not so. 2. If it should be demanded, Why in the same Tract use hath not been made of Tycho's Equation of Time, nor of that of Bullialdus, but one is given different from both? The Answer is, That the Table, there publish'd, is the Difference of the Right Ascension of the Sun at Noon from the Mean motion, accounting from th' 1st of February; which must be the true Equation, unless the Velocity of the Earth's Motion about her own Axis be not constantly the same. Errat. Numb. 47.p. 945. in the 2d column blot out diff. before 6. 5. 1. and put it before the 3d rank of numbers above it, viz. before 11. 49. 56. LONDON, Printed by T. N. for John Martyn Printer to the Royal Society, and are to be sold at the Bell a little without Temple-Bar, 1669.