An ornate woodcut headpiece featuring two semi-nude figures reclining amidst symmetrical foliage and scrollwork. Below, a large decorative drop-cap initial 'B' marks the beginning of the text block.

EPISTLE

To the Kind Reader,

Wherein the Author demonstrates the nature of the machine and its first inventors, along with the utility that may be drawn from this present Book.

---

Vitruvius Book X, Chapter 1.

Genesis Chapter 4.

Diodorus Siculus in his ancient history, first book.

Plutarch in the life of Marcellus.

Vitruvius Book 9, Chapter 9.

Hero in his Stable Machine.

Kind Reader, as I have in this present book to treat a diversity of machines, it will not be out of place to show what this word signifies, and the first inventors of them, and also the utility that one may draw from them. Firstly, this word "machine," as Vitruvius says, signifies an assembly and firm conjunction of carpentry, or other material, having force and movement, whether of itself or by whatever means it may be. And there are three genres: one called by the Greeks Acrobactic original: "Acrobactique." From the Greek akrobates, referring here to machines used for lifting or scaling heights., which is that which serves to lift all sorts of burdens on high, used by Carpenters and Masons, and even by Merchants to pull all sorts of merchandise out of Ships. The second genre is called Pneumatic, which acquires movement by water and air, of which there are diverse machines serving for the decoration of grottoes and fountains. The third is called by the Greeks Banausic original: "banauison." A term derived from the Greek banausikos, relating to manual labor or mechanical crafts., which serves to raise, pull, and carry all sorts of burdens from one place to another, and even to provide the force to do several things difficult for us without this aid, such as Windmills and watermills, Pumps, screw presses, Clocks, Scales, Blacksmiths' bellows, and several other things which would be very difficult to do without. As for the first inventors of these: Holy Scripture bears witness to us that Jubal original: "Iuba." In Genesis 4:21, Jubal is credited as the ancestor of musicians. was the inventor of musical instruments, and Tubal-cain the forger of all engines of iron and brass. The Pagans believed this invention to have come from Vulcan, whom they have since adored, as they have all those who were the first inventors of things necessary to man. But of these first inventors, we have no knowledge of any machine invented by them, as we do of those who followed later, among whom Archimedes left several things invented by him, such as the screw mentioned by Diodorus Siculus, who says that Egypt was marvelously aided against the floods of the Nile. By the screw of Archimedes, he also invented several machines of war to defend the city of Syracuse that Marcellus held under siege, as Plutarch recounts, all of which machines have been abandoned since the use of the Cannon began. Around the time of Archimedes was Ctesibius original: "Stesibie." (of whom Vitruvius makes mention) and says that he was the inventor of several machines called by the Greeks Pneumatic and Hydraulic (that is to say, singing waters). It was he who invented the measuring of time with the flow of water, which invention has no longer been in use since Clocks with toothed wheels were invented. After him came a Philo of Byzantium, of whom Hero of Alexandria makes mention, saying he had written something of this art; and since the said Philo, there came Hero of Alexandria, who left us three books: namely, one titled Pneumatics original: "Spiritalli," likely referring to the Latin title Spiritalium Liber., treating diverse problems of the effects of air and water, and the second on the moving machine, called by the