Ingenious Designs of Various Mills

Agriculture cannot do without it; indeed, the entire world cannot exist without it. Anyone who wished to properly praise this noble science The author is referring to the "science of mathematics," which in this period included mechanics and engineering. would perhaps run out of words before running out of subject matter. As an honorable and virtuous mother, she has many beautiful, lovely, and useful daughters, for whom all excellent minds original: "Ingenia" strive with the greatest diligence. Among these daughters, Architecture is not the least.

Through this art, people who were initially scattered in the wild were brought together into cities, houses, and under one roof. Through this art, they are still protected today, in times of both peace and war. Through this, entire lands are frequently adorned. Through this, cities are defended against all the might of the enemy, as one sees in the case of Archimedes, who alone liberated the city of Syracuse against the power of the Roman commander Marcellus Archimedes (c. 287–212 BCE) is said to have defended Syracuse using ingenious machines, including cranes to lift ships and mirrors to set them on fire, against the siege led by Marcus Claudius Marcellus.. This science brings about all sorts of wonderful machines original: "Machinas" which are indispensable to human life.

I will, for now, remain silent about various pleasures for which this art manufactures many different machines, such as those seen in so many kinds of water-engines and fountains original: "Wasserkünsten vñ Bronwercken". I will also remain silent regarding the horrendous machines of war original: "horrendarum belli machinarum" which are used in combat. Furthermore, I will remain silent about those things often undertaken only out of honest ambition, as one reads of a man named Archytas of Tarentum, who carved a dove out of wood and prepared it so that it soared into the air like a real, natural dove Archytas (c. 428–347 BCE) was a Greek mathematician and philosopher credited with building the first autonomous flying machine, a steam-powered pigeon..

Instead, I will speak only of useful machines which, as mentioned before, human life cannot well do without: namely, all kinds of water-, wind-, horse-, and hand-mills, used not only for grinding grain but also for performing other useful tasks. It is unnecessary to state in many words what their utility is or how highly they should be valued, since everyone is sufficiently aware and knows how greatly they are needed in all sorts of circumstances, both in times of war and peace. However, because these machines cannot always be built with great force and expense, but often with advantage and little effort depending on the opportunity, those who have undertaken to demonstrate all kinds of advantages in this field for the good of the common fatherland are rightly to be praised.

This also motivated the noble and honorable Lord Jacobus de Strada, a Roman citizen original: "ciuem Romanum" and former Antiquarian, Commissary, and Court official original: "Antiquarium, Commissarium & Aulicum" to the Emperors Ferdinand, Maximilian, and Rudolph II—my dear grandfather. After he had seen much and spent a long time in such arts and sciences—a good three hundred The sentence continues onto the next page, likely referring to "three hundred designs."