Of Some Books Lately Publish't

struck near Nantwich in Cheshire; the Title of the Book being, *Anatome Pueri de Celo taati*: such Relations, when truly made, well deserving to be carefully recorded for farther consideration. Of some Books lately publish't. **RELATIONS OF DIVERS CURIOUS VOYAGES**, by Mons. Thevenot; the third Tome, in French. This Book contains chiefly, the Ambassie of the Dutch into China, translated out of the Dutch manuscript: A Geographical description of China, translated out of a Chinese Author by Martinus: And the Account, which the Directors of the Dutch East-India Company made to the States General, touching the state of affairs in the East-Indies, when their late Fleet parted from thence. To touch some things of a Geographical and Philosophical nature, contained therein, we shall take notice; 1. How the Kingdom of China is peopled; there being according to the best computation (which is there made with singular care) above 58 millions of Men, not counting Magistrates, Soldiers, Priests, Eunuchs, Women and Children; so that it may not be altogether strange, if one should affirm, there were 200 millions of people, of all sorts, in that Kingdom. 2. That Catay is nothing else, but the Six Northern Provinces of China, separated from the other Nine, by the great River KIANG; and that the City Cambalu is the same with that of Peking: the Tartars, who carry every three years their Tribute to the Emperor of China, constantly calling the said Provinces and City by those names of Catay, and Cambalu. 3. That China is so well furnish'd with Rivers, and cut Channels, that men may go from the most Southern to the most Northern part thereof by water, except one daies journey; as the Dutch Ambassadors did, embarking at Canton, which is 23 d. 48 m. Northern Latitude, and landing at Peking, which is about 40 d; having only travell'd one daies journey over some Mountains of the Province Kiamfi. 4. That the people of China are exceeding industrious Husband- bandmen, making among other waies of improving their soile, great use of Flouding. 5. That the Physicians of China do cure Sicknesses with much ease, and in a short time: That they have very ancient Books of the nature and vertues of Herbs, Trees and Stones: That their Modern Physicians (as well as their Ancient ones did) write of the Prognosticks, Causes, Effects, &c. of Diseases. That their Remedies consist for the most part of Simples and Decoctions, Cauteries, Frictions; without the use of Blood-letting: That they have such an excellent skill and method in feeling the Pulse, that by the means thereof they discover even the most latent causes of Diseases; taking a good half hour, when they visit a Patient, in feeling and examining his Pulse: That they prescribe much the use of Tea; and the drinking always warme, whatever they drink: To the custome of both which it's imputed, that the inhabitants of China do spit very little, nor are subject to the Stone or Gout: That they prise highly the Root Ginseng, as an extraordinary Restorative and Cordiall, recovering frequently with it agonizing persons; one pound of it being paid with 3 pounds of silver. As for their Chymists, (of which they have also good store) they go beyond ours, promising not only to make Gold, but to give Immortality. 6. That their Nobility is raised from Learning and Knowledge, without regard to Blood or Parentage, excepting the Royall Family. 7. That in CHEKIAN, a maritime Province, whence is the shortest cut of China to Japan, is the best and plentifullest Silk-trade in the world: And that there every year the Mulberries are cutt, and kept down, that they grow not into Trees, for the easier gathering of the Leaves; there being a double Silk-harvest in that Country, as there is in severall other parts of the East-indies; (both which there is hope, will shortly be imitated in Virginia.) 8. That the way of making Porcelane is this: (Which is the rather inserted here, because it agrees so well with an Account, we received a while since from a very Curious and intelligent Person of Amsterdam.) There is in the Province of Nankin a Town, call'd Goesifol; whence they draw the Earth for Porcelaine, which is found between the Rocks of Mountains. This Earth they beat very small, and stamp it to a very fine Powder, and then put it into Tubs fill'd with water; where the finest part sinks to the bottom. Afterwards 'tis kneaded in the form of small Cubes, of the weight of about 3 Catti (a Catti being 20 Ounces.) These pieces thus wrought are sold to the people, that commonly in great numbers fetch them, coming from the Town Sintefimo (otherwise Fention) in the Province of Kianfy, being about 50 miles distant from Wotising, near the City KIANSY; which people transport them to their homes, and there bake them in this manner: They heat their Ovens well, for the space of 15 daies successively, and then keep them so close, that no Air may get in; and after 15 other daies are pass'd, they open the Oven in the presence of an Officer, who takes every fifth vessel of each fashion for the service of the Emperor: Which done, the rest is sold to those of Ucienien, whence it is transported all over the Country. So that the Earth is not prepared, in Nankin, where 'tis found, because the people of that Province have not the skill of working it, as the other above-mention'd; who also alone have the Art of coloring it, which they keep as a great Secret, not teaching it to any, but their Children and next Kindred. 9. That Musk is nothing else, but the Testicles of a Beast like a Dear, found in the Province of Honan; and that, when tis good and unmixt, as it comes from the Animal, they sell it even in Nankin and Pekin, for 30. or 35. Teyls (that is, about so many Crowns) the Catti, or 20.7. Many other curious informations might be borrow'd from this Author, concerning the Customs, Studies, Exercises of the Chinese; of the number of the people of each Province; of the Natural productions of the Earth and Rivers there; of the Structure and Antiquity of their Wall; of the Magnificence of their Porcelain Tower &c.; but, remitting for these things to the Book itself, we shall only add a piece of Oeconomy, used by the Holland-Merchants in their Commerce with China; which is, that they dry abundance of Sage-leaves, role them up, and prepare prepare them like The, and carrying it to China, as a rare drogue, get for one pound of it, fourtimes as much The. A DISCOURSE ABOUT THE CAUSES OF THE INUNDATION OF THE NILE, in French. The Author of this Book is Monsieur dela Chambre, who being perswaded from several Circumstances, that accompany the Overflowing of this River, that it cannot proceed from Rain, ventures to assign for a Cause of it, and of all the other effects that happen at the time of its Swelling, the Niter, whereewith that water abounds. The discourse having six parts, the Author endeavours to shew in the First, that the Waters of the Nile are Nitrous, explicating the Nature of Salt, and Saltpeter, and imputing the fertility of the Earth, as well as the fecundity of Animals, to Salt. Where he shews, that all things, that serve to improve Land, are full of Salt; and that 'tis observ'd, that grain steep'd in Vrine before sowing, rises sooner, and becomes fuller and stronger, than else. Adding, that that, which renders the Seed of Animals prolific, is, that one of the Spermatick veins hath its Origine from the Emulgent, through which the Nitrous and Saline Serositys, that discharge themselves into the Kidneys and Bladder, do pass. In the Second, he examins, what is Fermentation, and how 'tis perform'd; affirming, that, what thrusts forth Plants in the Spring, is, that the Earth being fermented by the Niter, it harbours, the Nitrous spirits insinuate themselves into their Pores. In the Third he treats of all the Circumstances, observable in the Inundation of the Nile. 'Tis affirm'd, that 3 or 4 days before that River begins to overflow, all its water is troubled: that then there falls a certain Dew, which hath a fermenting vertue, and leavens a Paste exposed to the Air: that the Mud, which has been drawn out of the water, grows heavier, when the overflowing begins, then it was before, and that by the increase of the weight of that Mud, they Judge of the greatness of the approaching inundation. The Author pretends, that the Niter, which the Nile is stored with, is the cause of all these strange effects, and of many others, by him alledged. For, faith he, when the Nitre is heated by the heat of the Sun, it ferments, and mingling with the water, troubles it, and swells it, and makes it pass beyond its banks; after the same manner, as the Spirits in new Wine render it troubled, and make it boyle in the vessel. And it seems not likely to him, that the Mud, found in the Nile, should come a far off; for then it would at last so raise the banks of this River, that it would not be able to overflow them any longer. Whereas 'tis more than 2000 years, that the banks thereof are not grown higher, there being now requisite but 16. cubits for overflowing the Land, no more than there was in the time of Herodotus. Which shews, faith he, that this Mud is nothing but a volatile Niter, which exhaling, doth not increase the Earth. As for the Egyptian Dew, and the increase of the weight of the Mud, he adcribes them to the same Cause. For, the spirits of Nitre abounding in the Nile, when raised into the Air with the vapors, that exhale continually from this River, there is made out of their mixture, a Dew, that refreshes the Air, makes sickness to cease, and produces all those admirable effects, that make the Egyptians wish for it so passionately. And the same spirits of Niter, being joined to the Paste, and to the Mud, raise the one, and augment the weight of the other. That, which Mr. Buratini obferves, that at the time of this inundation, the Niter-pits of the neighbouring places vomit out liquid Niter, and that one may see issue out of the Earth abundance of Chrystals of Nitre, is alledged to fortify this conjecture; Which is yet more confirm'd by the Fertility, communicated to the Earth by the Mud of this River. For, plants do grow there in such abundance, that they would choak one another, if it were not remedied by throwing Sand upon the Fields; insomuch that the Egyptians must take as much pains to spread Sand to lessen the fatness of their Land, as other Nations do, to spread dung or other manure upon theirs to increase the fatness. In the Fourth and Fifth, the Author undertakes to prove, that all those strange effects cannot be attributed to Rain or Snow, and and that the overflowing of the Nile always happens at a certain day. In the Last, he alledges some Relations, serving to confirm his Opinion: Which are too long here to insist upon. **DE PRINCIPIIS ET RATIOCINATIONE GEOMETRARUM**: Contra Fastium Professorum Geometriae; Authore Thoma Hobbes. It seems, that this Author is angry with all Geometricians, but himself; yea he plainly faith in the dedication of his Book, that he invades the whole Nation of them; and unwilling, it seems, to be call'd to an account for doing so, He will acknowledge no judge of this Age, but is full of hopes, that posterity will pronounce for him. Mean while he ventures to advance this Dilemma; Eorum qui de illo rebus necum aliquod ediderunt, aut solus insanio Ego, aut solus non insanio; tertium enim non est, nisi (quod dicit forte aliquis) insaniamus omnes. Doubtless, one of these will be granted him. As to the Book itself, he professes, that he doth not write it against Geometry, but Geometers; and that his design in it is, to shew, That there is no less uncertainty and falsity in the writings of Mathematicians, than there is in those of Naturalists, Moralists, &c. though he judges, that Physics, Ethics, Politicks, if they were well demonstrated, would be as certain as the Mathematicks. Attacking the Mathematical Principles as they are found in Books, and withall some Demonstrations, he takes to task Euclid himself, instead of all, as the Master of all Geometricians, and with him his best interpreter; Clavius, examining in the First place, the Principles of Euclid: Secondly, Declaring false, what is superstructed upon them, whether by Euclid, or Clavius, or any Geometer whatsoever that hath made use of those or other (as he is pleased to entitle them) false Principles. Thirdly, Pretending, that he means so to combat all both Principles and Demonstrations, undertaken by him, as that he will substitute better in their room, least he should seem to undermine the Science itself. The particulars, which he undertakes to reform, are: Punctum: Linea. Terminus. Linea Recta. Superficies. Superficiei Termini. Superficies Plana, Angulus (Where he is large upon the Angulus Contactus.) Petitio prima Elem. i. Euclidis: Ratio. Radix & Latus. Prop. i6. El. 3. Dimensio Circuli. Magnitudo Circuli Hugeniana, Secctio Anguli. Ratio, quam habet recta composita ex Radio & Tangente 30. grad, ad Radium ipsum, Propos. 47æ. Elem. i. Demonstratio. Addita est Appendix de Mediis proportionalibus in genere. KING SALOMONS PORTRAITURE OF OLD AGE; by John Smith, M.D. This Treatise being a Philosophical Discourse, though upon a Sacred Theme, may certainly claim a place among Philosophical Transactions. Not here to mention the many other learned Notes, this Worthy Author gives upon that Hieroglyphical Description of Old Age, made by that Royal Pen-man of Ecclesiastes, cap. i2. We shall onely take notice of that surprizingly Ingenious one, there to be met with, concerning the Antiquity of the Doctrine of the Blood's Circulation: King Salomon, who lived neer 2700 years agoe, using such expressions, as may, to a considering Reader, very probably denote the same Doctrine, which the Sagacious Dr. Harvey has of late years so happily brought to light, and introduced into all the most Ingenuous Societies of Learned men: The Pitcher, mention'd in the quoted place, being Interpreted for the Veines, and the Fountain, for the Right Ventricle of the Heart, as the Cistern, for the Left; the Wheele, there spoken off, manifestly importing a Circulation, made by the Great Artery with its Branches, the principal Instrument thereof. Printed with Licence for John Martyn, and James Allestry, Printers to the Royal Society. 1666.