An Account of Some Books

great Ease and Speed; and by it I have performed some Things upon Minerals and Metals, which with crude Antimony alone I could not effect. Take of Antimony one Pound; flux it clear: Have an Ounce or two of the Cawk-stone (by and by to be described) in a Lump red-hot in readiness. Put it into the Crucible to the Antimony; continue the Flux a few Minutes: Cast it into a clean and not greased Mortar, decanting the melting Liquor from the Cawk. This Process gives us above 15 Ounces of Vitrum of Antimony, like polish'd Steel, and as bright as the most refined Quicksilver. The Cawk seems not to be diminish'd in its Weight, but rather increased; nor will be brought to incorporate with the Antimony, though flux'd in a strong blast. This Cawk-stone is a very odd Mineral, and I always looked upon it to be much a-kin to the white milky Mineral Juyces, I formerly sent you a Specimen of: And this Experiment is demonstrative that I was not mistaken; for, the milky Juice of the Lead-Mines vitrifies the whole Body of Antimony in like Manner. That this Vitrification is from the proper Nature of Cawk, I little doubt; for, I could never light upon any one Mineral Substance, which had any such Effect upon Antimony; and I have tried very many, as Lapis Calaminaris, Stone-Sulphur or Sulphur vitrum, Galactites, Sulphur Marcasite, Allom-glebe, divers Sparrs, &c. Cawk is a ponderous white Stone, found in the Lead-Mines; it will draw a white Line like Chalk or the Galactites: And though it be so free, that it is more firm, and hath a smooth and shining Grain, Sparr-like, yet not at all transparent. Of the Spirit, it yields by Distillation, another time. I am, York, Novemb. 20. 1674. Sir, Yours, &c. An Account of some Books. I. TRACTS, containing 1. Suspicious about some Hidden Qualities of the Air, with an Appendix touching Celestial Magnets, and some other Particulars. 2. Animadversions upon Mr. Hobbs's Problemata de Vacuo. 3. A Discourse of the Cause of Attraction by Suction: By the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE Esq; Fellow of the R. Society, London, 1674. in 8vo. In the first of these Tracts, the noble Author, passing by those obvious Qualities of the Air, Heat, Cold, Dryness and Moisture, and such others, as are now also well enough known, I mean Gravity, Springiness, Refractiveness, &c. enquires into, and delivers his Conjectures about, some yet more Latent ones. And the chief Account, upon which the Air may be thought endow'd with Hidden Qualities, he esteems to be those exotick Effluviums, that probably do proceed partly from beneath the Surface of the Earth, partly from the Celestial Bodies; not denying mean while, that the Air may, especially at some Times and at some Places, derive Multitudes of efficacious Particles from its own Operations, acting as a fluid Substance upon that vast Number and Variety of Bodies that are immediately exposed to it. Now these Conjectures, grounded upon Subterranean and Sidereal Effluviums, are in this Tract confirmed by many considerable and hitherto un-heeded Observations; and they are such, that, if they prove to be well-grounded, they may lead us, (as the Author also intimates) to other Suspicions of no mean Consequence; As 1. That they may make us consider, whether divers Changes of Temperature and Constitution in the Air, not only as to manifest, but as to the more latent Qualities, may not sometimes in Part, if not chiefly, be derived from the Paucity, or Plenty, and peculiar Nature of one or both of those Sorts of Effluviums? 2. That they may suggest to us, as a Thing not altogether improbable, that some Bodies, we are conversant with, may have a Disposition and fitness to be wrought on by, or to be associated with, some of those Exotick Effluvia, that are emitted by unknown Bodies lodged under Ground, or that proceed from this or that Celestial Body. 3. That they may put us upon the Investigation, Whether among the Bodies we are acquainted with here below, there may not be found some, that may be Receptacles, if not also Attractives, of the Sidereal and other Heterogeneous Effluviums that rove up and down in the Air? All which Suggestions are countenanced in this Piece with divers un-common Observations. And from the last of these three, Occasion is taken, in a peculiar Discourse, to enquire, Whether, as 'tis thought no impossible Thing, that Nature should make, so it may not be an unpracticable or hopeless Thing, that Men should find, or Art should prepare, useful Magnets of the exotick Effluviums of the lower Region of the Earth, or the Upper of the World? To this first Part are subjoined, 1. Some Observations of the Growth of Metals, tending to resolve this Inquiry, viz. Whether a Portion of Matter, wherein as yet no Metal, or but such or such a Quantity of it, can be found, this being expos'd to the Air, will after a Time either afford some Metal where none appear'd before, or a greater Proportion of it than it had before. 2. Some new Experiments about the Preservation of Bodies in Vacuo Boyliano, or with Exclusion of the Air; tried upon Bread, Milk, Cream, Cheese, roasted Meet, Blood, Blood, Violets, July-flowers, Roses, Strawberries, Blackberries, Beer. All which, except the Milk, Cream, and Blood, remained good and without any notable Alteration after a considerable time: But the Milk, upon giving an Access to the Air, after 3 Months time, was found, though well-coloured, yet turned partly into a kind of Whey, and partly into a kind of soft Curd: The Cream, at a Years End, appear'd to be more thick and Butter-like at the top than other-where, and by a little shaking was soon reduced to Butter: And the Blood, though for one or two of the first Days it seem'd to continue fluid and of a florid Colour, yet afterwards degenerated into a blackish one, without Stink. Of the Beer thus exhausted and secured from the Air, it was remarkable, that after much Thunder it had contracted no Sowrnesh, though that of most of the Neighbourhood had. And that the Fructus horarii, especially such as are very tender and juicy, should without any additament be preserv'd from Putrefaction a great time longer than otherwise they would have been, is an Experiment that may give Hopes, that both odd and useful Things of this Kind may be this Way performed. The second Tract of this Book, being written Dialogue-wise, examines Mr. Hobbs's Arguments for the absolute Plenitude of the World, and shews them to be far short of Cogency. Here the Author, still forbearing to declare himself either way in this Controversy, does not tye himself strictly to the Principles and Notions of the Vacuists, nor, though but for a while, opposes himself to those of the Plenists; but considers, either upon the Doctrine of the Vacuists, or upon other Grounds, Whether Mr. Hobbs have cogently proved his, and the Schools, Assertion, Non dari Vacuum? And whether he have rightly explain'd some Phenomena of Nature, which he undertakes to give an Account of, and especially some in the Author's Engine, whereof he takes upon him to render the genuine Causes? Where occur divers excellent new Experiments, countenancing the Author's Purpose against that of his Antagonist. The third examines the Cause of Suction, and having rejected Fuga Vacui to be the Cause of the raising of Liquors in Suction, and declared also, that he cannot acquiesce in the Theory, who refer it to the Action of the Suckers thorax; he shews, that the Ascension of Water upon Suction may be caused otherwise than by the Condensation or the propagated Pulsion of Air contiguous to the Suckers Chest; and likewise, that there may be Cases, wherein the Cause, assign'd in that hypothesis, will not have Place. Which done, he proposes and makes out by Experiments his Thoughts concerning that Cause; Cause; which Thoughts amount to this; That Liquors are upon Suction raised into Pipes or other hollow Bodies, when and so far as there is a less pressure on the Surface of the Liquor in the Cavity, than on the Surface of the external Liquor that surrounds the hollow Body; whether that Pressure on those Parts of the external Liquor, that are from time to time impelled up into the Orifice of the Pipe, proceed from the Weight of the Atmosphere, or the propagated comprefion or impulse of some Parts of the Air, or the Spring of the Air, or some other Cause, as the Pressure of some other Body quite distinct from Air. II. R. P. Claudii Franc. Milliet de Chales è J. CURSUS seu MUNDUS MATHEMATICUS, universam Mathefim tribus Tomis complectens. Lugduni, 1674. in Fol. The Author of this great Work declares in his Preface, that, having considered with himself the several things, that render to young Students of the Mathematicks the Study of those Sciences difficult and perplexed, he hath endeavour'd so to compose and frame this his Cursus Mathematicus, as that every one, having but ordinary good Parts, shall be able, by the attent perusal of the same, without any other Master or Guide, to penetrate into the inmost Depths thereof. The first Tome comprehends eight Books of Euclid; Arithmetick; Theodosius his Sphericks; Trigonometry; Practical Geometry; Mechanicks; Staticks; Universal Geography; a Treatise of the Magnet; Architecture, and Carpentry. Concerning Euclid, he dissuades from teaching Novices all the Books of Euclid indifferently; alleging to have by Experience found, that, at the beginning, time is ill spent in learning his 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Books; and therefore would have his Tyro content himself with the Knowledge of Euclid's first 6 Books, and the 11th, and Part of the 12th, (which Books he saith he hath rendred easy,) forasmuch as all the principal Parts of the Mathematics may be demonstrated without the other Books of that Author. Touching Arithmetick, he delivers the Rules of it both in Integers and Fractions, together with the Extraction of the Square and Cubick Roots; annexing thereunto Arithmetick with Counters, and by Divination. And because the Principal Bodies, that are of a Mathematical Consideration, are Spherical, he inserts here the Elements of Sphericks, as by which the chief Proprieties of the Celestial Orbs are demonstrated: And those Elements he takes from the famous Theodosius, who lived in the time of Pompey the Great. His Trigonometry he divides into 6 Parts: The 1st delivers the Canon of Sines, Tangents and Secants; the 2d explains the Nature of Logarithms; the 3d and 4th teach to resolve Rectilinear and Spherical Triangles; the 5th and 6th consider Rectangular and Obliqueangular Spherical Triangles. His Practical Geometry consists of 4 Parts: The 1st treats of the Mensuration of Lines, both straight and curve, accessible and inaccessible; the 2d and 3d, of the Measure of Surfaces; the 4th, of that of Solids. His Mechanicks contain 6 Books: In the 1st, he establishes and explains the most Universal Principle of Motion; in the 2d, he applies that Principle to the Veetis, as in the 3d he does it to the Axis in per trochlo: In the 4th, he demonstrates the Power of the Trochlea; in the 5th, of the Cochlea; in the 6th, of the Cuneus, where he takes Occasion to discourse of Percussion. His Staticks are comprehend in 7 Books; whereof the 1st establishes the Equipoise of the Elements, and explodes the Fear of a Vacuum; the 2d treats of the celebrated Motion of heavy Bodies; the 3d, of inclined Plans, and Pendulums; the 4th, of the Doctrine of Equiponderant Bodies; the 5th, 6th, and 7th, of the Center of Gravity of Superficies's and Solids. In his Geography, he considers the Figure of the Earth, assigns it its Place, investigates its Circumference and other Dimensions; distinguishes the Number of the Zones, and the several Climates; enquires into the Height of Hills and the Depth of Mines; and adds divers Particulars relating to the Ocean, Rivers, Fountains and Lakes. In his Treatise of Magnetism, he first sets down the various Experiments made of the Attractive, Directive, and Communicative Power of the Loadstone; and as he infers thence several Conclusions, so he deduces several Practices from it. He intimates, amongst very many other Particulars, that if the Authority of the H. Scriptures did not hinder, the Consideration of the Verture of the Magnet would add much of Probability to the Copernican System. Proceeding to his Architecture civil, he discourses of the known Five Orders, and annexes to it a Treatise of ordinary Carpentry. In the second Tome are contained these Treatises, viz. of the Section of Stones, of Architecture Military, of Hydrostaticks, Fountains and Rivers, Hydraulicks, Navigation, Opticks, Perspective, Catoptricks, and Dioptricks. The Treatise of the Section of Stones is divided into 4 Books, whereof the first treats de Compluviatis seu Cylindricis Fornicibus; the second, second, *de Conicis*; the third, *de praecipuis seu decumanis Testudinibus*; the fourth, *de Helicoidibus*. His *Architecture Military* is comprised in 7 Books; of which the first lays down the Grounds and Axioms of that Art; the second is conversant about regular Polygons; the third, about Outworks; the fourth, about Irregular Figures; the fifth, about Circumvallations, Trenches, &c. the sixth, about Defence; the seventh, about Perspective Military. In the *Hydrostaticks*, he considers, 1. the Poise of Bodies swimming; how much Bodies loses of their Weight, being immers'd in Water; how Metals may be tryed in Water, and the like. In the Treatise of *Fountains* and *Rivers*, he Discourses of the Equipoise of Waters; of the Ways of conveying Springs and Rivers; of salient Waters; of the several Depths, which a River acquires by the Inlet of several Torrents or other Waters, &c. In that of *Hydraulicks*, he treats of all Sorts of Artificial Fountains, that perform their Effect either by Attraction, or Compression, or Expulsion; as also of all Sorts of Engins for raising of Water: Where he gives a particular Account of the great Water-wheel at Bremen, which in every Revolution sends 25 Cart-loads of Water into that City. To all which he annexes the Consideration of all sorts of Mills, principally of Corn, Powder, Paper and Iron-Mills. Passing on to *Navigation*, he speaks, 1. of Ship-Carpentry; of the several sorts of Ships; of Rowing, Sayling, Steering, Loading. 2. Of the Make and Use of the Sea-Compas, and the Method of observing, and allowing for, the Declination of the Needle. 3. Of the Nature of *Loxodromy*, or that Line which a Ship makes on the Surface of the Terraqueous Globe by the *ductus* of the same Rumb of the Mariners Compas. 4. Of Sea-Maps, and divers Practices to determine the Ship’s Way. 5. Of the way of keeping an Account of Time at Sea; where occurs a long Discourse about the *Longitude*, that is, the Easterly or Westerly Distance of the Ship from the Place where the Voyage began. 6. Of divers Nautical Practices; as, making of Journals, representing the Prospects of remarkable Coasts, by making Draughts, Plots and Maps of them, with their Longitudes, Latitudes, Scales, &c. as also of finding the Time of the Tides, and of conjecturing tempestuous Weather. Proceeding to *Opticks*, he gives an exact Description of the Eye; enumerates the various Deceptions of the Sight; shews the cause of being long and short-sighted; treats of strait Images, which, being look’d on from different Places, do vary; and of deform Pictures, which, which, being beheld from a determinate Place, are reform'd: Adding hereunto the Doctrine of the Propagation of Light. Concerning his Perspective, he 1. gives the Grounds thereof; 2. teaches Ichnography and Scenography; 3. exercises the Art of Perspective upon Roofs and Vaulted Places; 4. treats of Shadows; annexing thereunto a Delineating Parallelogram. Touching his Catoptricks, he therein considers the Reflexions both of Plain, Convex, and Concave Glasses: As in his Dioptricks, having explain'd the Nature of Refraction, he writes of Concave and Convex Spectacles, as also of Telescopes and Microscopes: Subjoynings thereunto a Discourse touching Refractions colour'd, and the Colours of Rainbows, and Prismes. So far the second Tome. The third Tome contains his Treatises about Musick, Pyrotechny, Astrolabes, Dialling, Astronomy, Calendars, Astrology, Algebra, the Method of Indivisibles, and Conique Sections. In the Treatise of Musick he considers the Nature and Properties of Sound, and the Reason of Harmony; as also the 3 Systems of Musick, viz. Diatonick, Chromatick, and Enharmonick. In that of Pyrotechny, he teaches, 1. the way of making all sorts of Artificial Fire-works, both Festival and Martial; 2. he treats of the Art of Gunnery, and Balisticks. In the Doctrine of Astrolabes, he writes of both the Globes, of the Analemma, the Universal, Horizontal, and other Astrolabes. His Dialling Treatise, delivers first the Way of making Dials in any Plain; and then Reflex and Refracted ones. His Astronomy contains 7 Books: 1. Gives the Doctrine of the Primus mobile, and the several Systems. 2. Of the Sun. 3. Of the Moon. 4. Of the Cycles. 5. Of the three superior Planets, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars. 6. Of the two lesser Planets, Mercury and Venus. 7. Of Comets. His Calendar conjoyns and compares the whole Civil Year with the Motions of the Sun and Moon: Annexing thereunto the Civil Years of various Nations; Questions about Easter; Considerations about the Golden Number, Epacts, Solar Cycle, Indictions, Bissextiles, the Julian Period, &c. Touching Astrology, he strikes that out of the Number of Mathematical Disciplines, and represents the great Vanity thereof. Of the three remaining Treatises, viz. his Algebra, Doctrine of Indivisibles and Conick Sections, he faith, he hath reserved them to the last, lest young Students of the Mathematicks should be deterred, or too long detained, by those more knotty or more difficult Studies. Thus I have given as short a View as I could of the Contents of these 3 Volumes, consisting of 30 Treatises in above an 100 Books. Mean time, what the Author hath performed beyond others, and how much also he hath borrow'd from others without taking notice of his Benefactors, I must leave to the Intelligent and well-read Perusers of this Work to Judge. III. The SPHERE of M. MANILIUS made an ENGLISH Poem, with Annotations, and an ASTRONOMICAL Appendix. By Edward Sherburn, Esquire. London, 1675, in fol. The learn'd and intelligent Author of this Work, rightly considering the great Importance of the mutual Helps, which the Knowledge of Antiquity and the Pursuit of New Discoveries of the present Times may afford to one another, thought fit to employ part of his ingenious Talent, in rendering English this ancient Poem; the famous Author whereof, desirous to inculcate Knowledge with delight, was pleased to exhibit to the Age wherein he lived, the Principles of Astronomy in a Poetical Dress; wherein divers Particulars do occur, touching the Nature of the Heavens and the Celestial Bodies, that agree with the Assertions of some of the Eminent Modern Astronomers, viz. the Fluidity of the Heavens, against the Aristotelean Solidity of the Orbs; the Position of the Fixed Stars, not in the same Concave Superficies of the Heavens equally distant from the Center of the Universe, but at Unequal distances in the Ethereal Region, some higher, some lower, (whence the difference of their apparent Magnitudes and Splendor;) the Fiery Nature and Substance of the Fixed Stars, and in consequence their being endow'd with native Lustre, and making so many Suns, conform to this Sun of ours; and the Galaxy's being an Aggregate of numberless Small Stars. Of the Parts of this Poem, their Distribution and Order, and of the Interpreters Endeavours in explicating the same both in his learned Notes and considerable Appendix, we shall, from the Author, give the Reader this Accompt, viz. 1. That the Poem begins with a succinct Indication of the Original and Progress of Arts and Sciences, more particularly of Astronomy; of which last, besides what the English hath noted in his not-common marginal Illustrations, he hath added, for the Satisfaction of the more Curious, a Compendious History, continued down to the Age wherein Manilius lived: Together with a very instructive Catalogue of the most Eminent Astronomers from the first Parent of all Arts, and Mankind itself, to this present Time. 2. That it is continued on with a Description of the Mundan System; and of the Celestial Signs and Constellations; the former of which our Interpreter hath explain'd according to the various Hypotheses both Ancient and Modern; the latter he hath described by the Number of the Stars that compose them, their several Denominations in most of the learn'd Languages, and as they are distinguished into profane and sacred Figures, according to the different Uranography of the ancient Ethiopians, and some late Christian Astronomers. 3. That the 3d. Part of this Poem contains a Description of the Celestial Circles; for the better understanding of which, over and above what is explain'd in the Marginal Notes, our Author hath added a Cosmographical Astronomical Synopsis, for the most part according to Merlennus; and thereunto annexed the xii Propositions of Theodosius de Habitationibus in English. And seeing that Manilius hath touched upon the fiery Nature of the Fixed Stars; his Interpreter hath here made some further and more curious Enquiries touching their Substance, Light, Colour, Scintillation, Number, Figure, Magnitude, Place, and Distance from the Earth, or rather the Sun. In the next place, the Planets are enumerated; whose several Denominations, by which they were known and distinguish'd by the Ancients, the Interpreter hath given in his Notes; further enlarging about the Nature and Substance of the Sun, his macula and facula (which are likewise represented in a particular Scheme,) something also being said of his Vertiginous Motion, Magnitude, and Distance; as also of the Moon and her Spots, adding thereunto the Selenographick Schemes of Hevelius and Grimaldi, with their respective Nomenclatures; and withal, exhibiting a brief Account of the Nature, Substance, Structure, Figure, Magnitude and Distance of the other Planets. And because this Poem concludes with a Corollary of Fiery Meteors and Comets; our Author hath in part explain'd them also in his Notes, more fully discoursing, in the Appendix, of their Names, Kinds, and several Species, their Matter, Place, and Efficient Causes; and adding in the close a Chronological Historical Table of the most notable Comets, that have appeared since the Flood to this Present: Having in the Illustration of the whole, observ'd the Method prescribed by the Emperor Justinian, that great Legislator, thus express'd, Instit. L. i. Tit. i. by himself; Ita omnia evidentur tradi commodissime, si primò levi ac simplici via, deinde diligentiori atq; exactiori Interpretatione singula tradantur. Nor hath our Interpreter omitted to inform his Reader touching Manilius his Life, Country, Quality, Studies, Writings, &c. in the doing doing of which, as well as in composing this whole Work, he hath given sufficient Proof of his more than ordinary Acquaintance both with ancient and modern Writings. He adorns the whole, as with many other very fair Schemes, so with those of the two Hemispheres of the Stars; the one serving for the Northern Constellations; the other for the Southern; wherein the Stars are express'd according to their several Magnitudes, as appears in the Scale thereof, set down in the Southern Hemisphere. And the Constellations are only pricked out, wherein (with Gallucius) the middle Way is taken, betwixt not placing them in any, or representing them in too dark shadow'd Figures, as some have done. IV. AVONA, or a Transient View of the Benefit of making RIVERS of this Kingdom NAVIGABLE; communicated by Letter to a Friend at London; by R. S. London, 1675. in 8°. This Letter, it seems, was occasion'd by observing the Situation of the City of Salisbury upon the AVON, and the Consequence of opening that River to the said City. The Author shews the manifold Benefits, which will redound to the Rich and Poor, by making our Rivers Navigable, to promote the Wealth, Navigation, Commerce, and Strength of this great Island; and to advance ingenious Arts and useful Knowledge, Inventions, Accommodations, and Discoveries; and particularly, representing the Advantages of Inland-Cities above our Ports on the shore, by navigable Rivers, by the Health, fulness of flowry and wholesome Air, from the environing Fields, Pastures and Groves. On the by, he pleads for the Savages, that our English Colonies would permit and invite them to be Christians, as Ligon endear'd to persuade. V. An Essay to facilitate the Education of Youth, by bringing down the Rudiments of Grammar to the sense of Seeing; which ought to be improv'd by Syncrips, fitted to Children's Capacities for the learning especially of the English, Latin and Greek Tongues: In three parts, An Accidence, a Middle Grammar, and a Critical or Idiomatical Grammar. By Mr. Lewis of Tottenham, in 8°. London. Grammar is the Foundation to the other liberal Arts; Languages the Keys to Knowledge, and the Expedient for all humane Commerce: And Letters, by judicious Antiquaries acknowledged the most wonderful and the most beneficial of all the Old Inventions. And now by the active genius of this present Age, Men and Children may in far less time learn many of the most considerable Languages, than by the usual Pedantry they could lately be taught an imperfect smattering in Latin only. Next to Grammar, in old Account, and for strongest Influence; and for the highest Advantages in all human Societies, both in Peace and War, Eloquence was esteemed more than fundamental, more than a Key, to unlock, regulate and set in order the Cabinets of Mens Hearts and Minds, to asswage bad Passions, and to excite noblest Affections. And Poesie, in several kinds, being the highest Efflorescence of Eloquence, is with a sublime and accurate felicity guided and promoted in a late English Tract, entitul'd, Reflexions on Aristotle's Treatise of Poetrie, containing the necessary, rational, and universal Rules for Epick, Dramatick, and the other sorts of Poetry; with Reflexions on the Works of the ancient and modern Poets, and their faults, noted by R. Rapin. Printed in London, in 8°. I take leave, on this occasion, to mention here, for Oratory, the two Tracts, that came abroad A. 1672. in 8°. viz. I. Reflexions upon the Eloquence of these Times, 1. in general: 2. Of the Barr, and 3. of the Pulpit: Pretending to be a Translation out of French; but by the Addresses, Conclusion, and often in the Body of the Tract, it appears to be a Free Application to our English Eloquence. II. By the same hand, A Comparison between the Eloquence of DEMOSTHENES and CICERO; which (doubtless) was, as is acknowledged, really translated out of French. Those Reflexions upon Eloquence, by a few Emendations at a second Review, may give much Light to Oratory. Errata in Numb. 109. Pag. 193. lin. 28. r. Littleball. LONDON Printed for J. Martyn, Printer to the Royal Society, 1674.