The Various and Ingenious Machines

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PREFACE.

...the motions of each Heaven, and of every sphere, finding the conformity and the variety that exists between them? No one, outside of this divine science referring to Mathematics and its branches, is sufficient to investigate how far distant the Sun is from the Moon, and from the other wandering stars. The Physician, then, without Astrology original: "Astrologia"—in the 16th century, this term encompassed both astronomy and the study of celestial influences on health. (which is part of that branch of Mathematics that deals with tangible things) how can he know the courses of the stars and the Moon? Upon this depends the whole reasoning and knowledge of the critical days term: "giorni critici"—specific days during an illness when a physician believed the patient's fate would be decided, often calculated by the Moon's position., that is, the days for making judgment; this is so as not to trouble the sick person with heavy medicine, especially at the beginning of their illness, at the time when the Moon is traveling from combustion original: "combustione"—an astronomical term for when a planet or the Moon is so close to the sun as to be invisible. to opposition original: "oppositione"—when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun as seen from Earth, i.e., a Full Moon..

Besides this, this supreme science serves the public good of Cities without end, both in measuring the times of business and in showing the various resolutions of the Universe. Is it not the principal and right arm of the military for maintaining civil government, the faculties, the goods, the substances, and the glorious fortunes of every sublime Empire and powerful Kingdom? And in what way will that most powerful Emperor, or glorious Champion, dare to besiege, fight, and storm enemy cities, and defend his own, if not with the art of Mechanics? This is indeed one of the six parts of that aforementioned branch of Mathematics that deals with tangible things; because although in perfecting military discipline one must presuppose Geometry and Arithmetic along with those other two parts of Mathematics, called by the Greeks Optics original: "Οπτική" and Mechanics original: "μηχανική", nevertheless these three principal conditions are necessary to every most valiant and supreme leader:

The first of these is to place and dispose his army most excellently in an opportune place; which the most famous and magnanimous Pyrrhus, King of the Epiri, always used to do above all other most valiant captains. The second is that he very prudently and wisely instructs and organizes his squads; which prudence Alexander the Great possessed at every hour in war. The third condition is then that the Captain be sagacious and of very sharp wit, to subtly investigate and use...