Ὂυκ ὀρθῶσ ἐπόιησασ ἐκδοὺσ τοὺσ ἀκροαματικόυσ τῶμ λόγωμ,τΐνι γὰρ διοισομην ἡμεῖσ τῶμ ἄλλωμ, ἐι καθ’ οὕσ ἐπαιδεύθημεν λόγουσ, ὅυτοι πάντωμ ἔσονταιν κοινόι, ἐγὼ δὲ βουλοί μημ ἅμ ταῖσ περι τὰ ἄριστα ἐμπειρΐαισ, ἢ τὰισ δυνάμεσι διαφέριμ. ἔρρωσο. that is
Alexander vnto Aristotle sendeth greeting.
You haue not doone well, to put forthe those bookes of secrete phylosophy intituled, ακροαματικοι. For wherin shall we excell other, yf that knowledge that wee haue studied, shall be made commen to all other men, namely sithe our desire is to excelle other men in experience and knowledge, rather then in power and strength. Farewell.
By whyche lettre it appeareth that hee estemed learninge and knowledge aboue power of men. And the like iudgement did he vtter, when he beheld the state of Diogenes Linicus, adiudginge it the beste state next to his owne, so that he said: If I were not Alexander, I wolde wishe to be Diogenes. Whereby apeareth, how he esteemed learning, and what felicity he putte therin, reputing al the worlde saue him selfe to be inferiour to Diogenes. And bi al coniecturs, Alexander did esteme Diogenes one of them whiche contemned the vaine estimation of the disceitfull world, and put his whole felicity in knowledg of vertue, and practise of the same, though some reporte
that he knew more vertue then he folowed: But whatso euer he was, it appeareth that Socrates and Plato and many other did forsake their liuings and sel away their patrimony, to the intent to seeke and trauaile for learning, which examples I shall not need to repete to your Maiesty, partly for that your highnes doth often reade them and other lyke, and partly sith your maiesty hath at hand such learned schoolemaysters, which can much better thẽ I, declare them vnto your highnes, and that more largely also then the shortenes of thys epistle will permit. But thys may I yet adde, that King Salomon whose renoume spred so farre abroad, was very greatlye estemed for his wonderfull power and exceading treasure, but yet much more was he estemed for his wisdom. And him selfe doth bear witnes, that wisedom is better then pretious stones . yea all thinges that can be desired ar not to be compared to it. But what needeth to alledge one sentence of him, whose bookes altogither do none other thing, then set forth the praise of wisedom & knowledg? And his father king Dauid ioyneth uertuous conuersacion and knowledg togither, as the summe of perfection and chief felicity. Wherfore I maye iustelye conclude, that true felicity doth consist in wisdome and vertu. Then if wisdome be as Cicero defineth it, Diuinarum atq; humanarum rerum scientia, then ought all men to trauail for knowledg in matters both of religion and humaine docrine, if he shall be counted wyse, and able to attaine true felicitie: But as the study of religious matters is most principall, so I leue it for this time to them that better can write of it then I can. And for humaine knowledge thys wil I boldly say, that who soeuer wyll attain true iudgment therein, must not only trauail in ye knowledg of the tungs, but must also before al other arts, taste of the mathematical sciences, specially Arithmetike and Geometry, without which it is not possible to attayn full knowledg in any art. Which may sufficiẽtly by gathered by Aristotle not õly in his bookes
of demonstration (whiche can not be vnderstand without Geometry) but also in all his other workes. And before him Plato his maister wrote this sentence on his schole house dore. Αγεομέτρητοσ ὀυδὲισ ἐισΐτω.. Let no man entre here (saith he) without knowledg in Geometry. Wherfore moste mighty prince, as your most excellent Maiesty appeareth to be borne vnto most perfect felicity, not only by reasõ that God moued with the long prayers of this realme, did send your highnes as moste comfortable inheritour to the same, but also in that your Maiesty was borne in the time of such skilful schoolmaisters & learned techers, as your highnes doth not a little reioyse in, and profite by them in all kind of vertu & knowledg. Amõgst which is that heauẽly knowledg most worthely to be praised, wherbi the blindnes of errour & superstition is exiled, & good hope cõceiued that al the sedes & fruts therof, with all kindes of vice & iniquite, wherby vertu is hindered, & iustice defaced, shal be clean extrirped and rooted out of this realm, which hope shal increase more and more, if it may appear that learning be estemed & florish within this realm. And al be it the chief learnĩg be the diuine scriptures, which instruct the mind principally, & nexte therto the lawes politike, which most specially defẽd the right of goodes, yet is it not possible that those two can long be wel vsed, if that ayde want that gouerneth health and expelleth sicknes, which thing is done by Physik, & these require the help of the vij. liberall sciences, but of none more then of Arithmetik and Geometry, by which not only great thinges ar wrought touchĩg accõptes in al kinds, & in suruaiyng & measuring of lãdes, but also al arts depend partly of thẽ, & building which is most necessary can not be wtout them, which thing cõsidering, moued me to help to serue your maiesty in this point as wel as other wais, & to do what mai be in me, yt not õly thei which studi prĩcipalli for lernĩg, mai haue furderãce bi mi poore help, but
also those whiche haue no tyme to trauaile for exacter knowlege, may haue some helpe to vnderstand in those Mathematicall artes, in whiche as I haue all readye set forth sumwhat of Arithmetike, so god willing I intend shortly to setforth a more exacter worke therof. And in the meane ceason for a taste of Geometry, I haue sette forthe this small introduction, desiring your grace not so muche to beholde the simplenes of the woorke, in comparison to your Maiesties excellencye, as to fauour the edition thereof, for the ayde of your humble subiectes, which shal thinke them selues more and more dayly bounden to your highnes, if when they shall perceaue your graces desyre to haue theym profited in all knowledge and vertue. And I for my poore ability considering your Maiesties studye for the increase of learning generally through all your highenes dominions, and namely in the vniuersities of Oxforde and Camebridge, as I haue an earnest good will as far as my simple seruice and small knowledg will suffice, to helpe toward the satisfiyng of your graces desire, so if I shall perceaue that my seruice may be to your maiesties contẽtacion, I wil not only put forth the other two books, whiche shoulde haue beene sette forth with these two, yf misfortune had not hindered it, but also I wil set forth other bookes of more exacter arte, bothe in the Latine tongue and also in the Englyshe, whereof parte bee all readye written, and newe instrumentes to theym deuised, and the residue shall bee eanded with all possible speede. I was boldened to dedicate this booke of Geometrye vnto your Maiestye, not so muche bycause it is the firste that euer was sette forthe in Englishe, and therefore for the noueltye a straunge presente, but for that I was perswaded, that suche a wyse prince doothe desire to haue a wise sorte of subiectes. For it is a kynges chiefe reioysinge and glory, if his subiectes be riche in substaunce, and wytty in knowledge: and contrarye
waies nothyng can bee more greuouse to a noble kyng, then that his realme should be other beggerly or full of ignoraunce: But as god hath geuen your grace a realme bothe riche in commodities and also full of wyttie men, so I truste by the readyng of wyttie artes (whiche be as the whette stones of witte) they muste needes increase more and more in wysedome, and peraduenture fynde some thynge towarde the ayde of their substaunce, whereby your grace shall haue newe occasion to reioyce, seyng your subiectes to increase in substance or wisdom, or in both. And thei again shal haue new and new causes to pray for your maiestie, perceiuyng so graciouse a mind towarde their benefite. And I truste (as I desire) that a great numbre of gentlemen, especially about the courte, whiche vnderstand not the latin tong, or els for the hardnesse of the mater could not away with other mens writyng, will fall in trade with this easie forme of teachyng in their vulgar tong, and so employe some of their tyme in honest studie, whiche were wont to bestowe most part of their time in triflyng pastime: For vndoubtedly if they mean other your maiesties seruice, other their own wisdome, they will be content to employ some tyme aboute this honest and wittie exercise. For whose encouragemẽt to the intent they maie perceiue what shall be the vse of this science, I haue not onely written somewhat of the vse of Geometrie, but also I haue annexed to this boke the names and brefe argumentes of those other bokes whiche I will set forth hereafter, and that as shortly as it shall appeare vnto your maiestie by coniecture of their diligent vsyng of this first boke, that they wyll vse well the other bokes also. In the meane ceason, and at all times I wil be a continuall petitioner, that god may work in all english hartes an ernest mynde to all honest exercises, wherby thei may serue the better your maiestie and
the realm. And for your highnes I besech the most mercifull god, as he hath most fauourably sent you vnto vs, as our chefe comforter in earthe, so that he will increase your maiestie daiely in all vertue and honor with moste prosperouse successe, and augment in vs your most humble subiectes, true loue to godward, and iust obedience toward your highnes with all reuerence and subiection.
At London the .xxviij. daie of Ianuarie. M. D. L I.