Ingenious Designs of Various Mills

...intended. They receive little praise among men for their resentment and unkindness; rather, they shall one day be called to account by God Himself for such unfaithfulness and be condemned as unfaithful stewards. The author uses a Biblical metaphor here, likely referring to the Parable of the Talents, suggesting that those who hide their knowledge are wasting gifts given to them by God.

The rational pagans original: "Heyden"; referring to pre-Christian Greek and Roman philosophers such as Cicero, mentioned on the previous page also recognized this, and were therefore moved to record their gifts in public writings—not for the end of merely making a name for themselves with posterity posterity: future generations and those who follow, but so that they might serve their fatherland and their friends—that is, the whole world and all people who had a desire for such things. And if they are remembered with due honor, it should not be because of the work or the utility one might gain from it, but rather for the sake of the faithfulness with which they were inclined to serve everyone.

My late grandfather, Jacobus de Strada of blessed memory, also understood this to the best of his ability. Since Almighty God had graced him, among others, with this gift—that he was well-versed not only in all manner of machines original: "Machinen" of powerful motion, but also in all kinds of serviceable and useful works for various things and matters, and possessed good experience and knowledge of them—he did not wish to neglect to diligently set down several sketches sketches: or "Abriß," referring here to technical architectural or mechanical drawings of them upon paper. This was to provide further guidance to anyone who had the desire, love, or pleasure for it, or who needed to build something of the kind, showing how it might be most fitly and conveniently put into operation according to each person's circumstances. Since he then [had] these pieces and sketches of all manner of wind-mills, horse-mills, hand-mills, and water-mills, and