But Tennaunted I feare will like me the lesse.
Yet do I not wrong but measure all truely,
All yelde the full right of euerye man iustely.
Proportion Geometricall hath no man opprest,
Yf anye bee wronged, I wishe it redrest.
But now to procede with learned professions, in Logike and Rhetorike and all partes of phylosophy, there neadeth none other proofe then Aristotle his testimony, whiche without Geometry proueth almost nothinge. In Logike all his good syllogismes and demonstrations, hee declareth by the principles of Geometrye. In philosophye, nether motion, nor time, nor ayrye impressions could hee aptely declare, but by the helpe of Geometrye as his woorkes do witnes. Yea the faculties of the minde dothe hee expresse by similitude to figures of Geometrye. And in morall phylosophy he thought that iustice coulde not wel be taught, nor yet well executed without proportion geometricall. And this estimacion of Geometry he maye seeme to haue learned of his maister Plato, which without Geometrye wolde teache nothinge, nother wold admitte any to heare him, except he were experte in Geometry. And what merualle if he so muche estemed geometrye, seinge his opinion was, that Godde was alwaies workinge
by Geometrie? Whiche sentence Plutarche declareth at large. And although Platto do vse the helpe of Geometrye in all the most waighte matter of a common wealth, yet it is so generall in vse, that no small thinges almost can be wel done without it. And therfore saith he: that Geometrye is to be learned, if it were for none other cause, but that all other artes are bothe soner and more surely vnderstand by helpe of it.
What greate help it dothe in physike, Galene doth so often and so copiousely declare, that no man whiche hath redde any booke almoste of his, can be ignorant thereof, in so much that he coulde neuer cure well a rounde vlcere, tyll reason geometricall dydde teache it hym. Hippocrates is earnest in admonyshynge that study of geometrie must prepare the way to physike, as well as to all other artes.
I shoulde seeme somewhat to tedious, if I shoulde recken vp, howe the diuines also in all their mysteries of scripture doo vse healpe of geometrie: and also that lawyers can neuer vnderstande the hole lawe, no nor yet the firste title therof exactly without Geometrie. For if lawes can not well be established, nor iustice duelie executed without geometricall proportion, as bothe Plato in his Politike bokes, and Aristotle in his Moralles doo largely declare. Yea sithe Lycurgus that cheefe lawmaker amongest the Lacedemonians, is moste praised for that he didde chaunge the state of their common wealthe frome the proportion Arithmeticall to a proportion geometricall, whiche without knowledg of bothe he coulde not dooe, than is it easye to perceaue howe necessarie Geometrie is for the lawe and studentes thereof. And if I shall saie preciselie and freelie as I thinke, he is vtterlie destitute of all abilitee to iudge in anie arte, that is not sommewhat experte in the Theoremes of Geometrie.
And