Notes and Queries 1861-06-22: Vol 11 Iss 286
The text was read from the page scans by machine (OCR), so it has mistakes and its columns may run together. See the pages · About this title · At the Internet Archive
Page 1
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 2
482 in his diuinis artibus excolendis et utilitatis publice NOTES AND QUERIES. causa conservandis. Cum autem, nobis monumenta utilia | istic tum edantur, tum adornentur, duxi hoc te munere uicissim ornandum esse, quod non dubito tibi gratissimum fore. Scis doctrinam Triangulorum maximos usus habere, cum in aliis geometricis materiis, tum uero precipue in Astronomia, ideédque sepe in eam I'tolemeus incurrit. Quare et hi qui Ptolemeum explicare conati sunt, multa de Triangulis commentati sunt. Et optarim extare ue- teres Menelaum et Theodosium. Nunc recens prodiit lucubratio Regiomontani, sed multo antequam hanc ui- dere potuit uir Clarissimus et doctissimus D. Nicolaus Copernicus, dum et in Ptolemeo illustrando, et in doc- trina motuum tradenda elaborat, de Triangulis erudi- tissime seripsit. Scio tibi admirationi fore hoc scriptum, cum uidebis, quantas res, quam artificiose complexus sit. Vt autem hoc tempore ederem, ed accidit, quia in enar- ratione Ptolemai nobis opus fuit Triangulorum doctrina, tibique e6 dedicavi, ut te prouocarem ad edenda, siqua in hoe genere habes, seu uetera, seu recentia. Huc accedit, quod audio amicitiam tibi Rome fuisse cum autoris fratre. Sed tibi uiro doctissimo non minor est causa quam hee ad amandum autorem, acerimum ipsius in- genium, et cum in ceteris artibus, tum maxime in doctrina ceelesti eruditio tanta ut ueteribus summis arti- ficibus conferri possit. Ac gratulari huic wtati debemus, tantum artificem reliquum esse, qui studia aliquorum accendat et adiuuet. Mihi quidem iudico rem nullam humanam contigisse meliorem, quam talis uiri et doctoris consuetudinem. Ac si quid unquam mea opera in hoc genere Reipublice profutura est, ad cuius utilitatem studia nostra referenda sunt, huic doctori acceptum re- ferri volo. Itaque cum hance lucubrationem et ingenio- sissime scriptum esse sciam, et ego eam propter autoris memoriam magni faciam, uelim te hoc munere magno- pere delectari. Bene vale. “ Has artes teneris annis studiosa Iuuentus Discito, Mensuras que numeros que docent. Premia nanque feres suscepti magna laboris, Ad ceelum monstrant hec tibi scripta uiam. Qua patet immensis spaciis pulcherrimus orbis, Si metas horum cernere mente uoles. Sidera uel quanam ceeli regione uagentur, Eterni cursus quas habeant’que vices. Cur Luna inuoluat cca caligine fratrem, Cur Lune usuram lucis et ille neget Venturos etiam casus que fata gubernent Quos populis clades astra inimica ferant Hee si nosse uoles, prius est doctrina tenenda, Quam breuirer tradunt hec elementa tibi. Cunque hominum mentes, que coelo semina ducunt, Errent a patria sede domo’que procul, He doctrina ipsas terrena mole solutas Ceelesti reduces rursus in arce locat.” This work was published in 1542, and the great work in May, 1543; whence it would seem that the printing of the two must have been in hand at the same time. This being supposed, it is wonderful that the preface of 1542 does not make any allusion to the peculiar opinions of Coper- nicus. Every thing is cast in the old mould; and even astrology is taken for granted. The only thing we learn about Copernicus, as Copernicus, is that he had a brother residing at Rome, at least for a time. It is probable enough that some cause of delay had occurred ; and that the work of 1542 was undertaken some time before 1541, the year in which the promulgation of the doctrine of the [294 S. XI. June 22. 61. earth’s motion was resolved on. And close exa- mination of the book shows that there must have been some delay in the printing, of a sort which, in those days, may have lasted from one to two years, The first page of the tables ends a sheet ; and this first page has the figures of a different ar- rangement from the rest of the table. The nu- meral digits are not on one body, so that the lines of seven figures may range without any inter- mediate blank types, or spaces: the 1 and the 5 are very different from the 4 and 9 in the room they occupy. Thus 412944 is 4-twelfths of an inch long; under it stands 415851 of only 3-twelfths, This makes the first page look as if the sines were carried to irregularly different numbers of places. After the first page this is remedied by spaces of different widths, so that the figures range tolerably well. These spaces must have been cast for the purpose : and this must have occasioned delay; in that day much more than in ours. A. De Morgan. JOHNSONIAN QUOTATIONS. About five years since I employed a few morn- ings in testing some of the quotations in the Dic- tionary of Samuel Johnson, and the main result was but on that point I must not be explicit. On glancing at my notes I find a specimen which deserves to be recorded; and the only apology which shall be made is for the transcrip- tion of certain couplets, which nineteen readers out of twenty can repeat without a prompter :— “ What woful stuff this madrigal would be In some starv’d hackney-sonnetteer, or me! But let a lord once own the happy lines; How the wit brightens! how the style refines! Before his sacred name flies ev’ry fault, And each exalted stanza teems with thought.” The second of the akove pungent couplets is quoted four times among the examples from the best writers, viz.— (1.) Voce Brighten — “ But let a lord once own the happy lines, How the stile brightens, how the sense refines.” Pope. (2.) Voce Refine — “T But] let a lord but own the happy lines; How the wit brightens, how the sense refines! Pope. (3.) Voce Style — “fT But} let some lord but own the happy lines, How the wit brightens, and the style refines.” Pope. (4.) Voce Wit — a te! let alord once but own the happy lines; The combined couplets are from the Works of low the wit brightens, and the style refines! Pope. Alexander Pope, 1743. ‘The four quotations are
Page 3
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 4
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 5
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 6
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 7
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 8
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 9
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 10
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 11
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 12
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 13
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 14
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 15
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 16
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 17
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 18
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 19
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 20
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.
Page 21
This page's text is still being fetched. See the page, or reload in a moment.