Ingenious Designs of Various Mills

hundred sketches original: Abriß of all kinds
to draft, with the intention that?
but because during his life?
he intended to add even more,
he was overtaken The author likely died before completion.. Therefore, [I] have
as his heir, taken [them] into hand
to share [them] publicly, in the ho[pe]
[that you] would take pleasure in th[em].
But because, on account of the shor[tness of time]
the aforementioned three [hundred?] Strada's collection was famously vast, intended to cover hundreds of designs.
[cannot] be completed: and [so]
fifty of these same pieces
[are published], so that a begin[ning]
[at] the upcoming [book] fairs The Frankfurt and Leipzig Book Fairs were the primary venues for releasing new volumes in the 16th and 17th centuries. always w[ould]
be published in print,
and the whole work, [its]
masterful pieces and hidden secrets ArcanaTrade secrets or specialized mechanical knowledge
should be edited [and published] hereafter.
[For if it] were issued all at once,
[to those in the] arts, because of the dai[ly]
and burdensome expense original: beschwerlich fůrfall[en]
[that] would occur. I have [therefore]
wanted to publish them, no[t only for that reason]
but also because it [was]
consulted [as] advice, for [it would be] unad[visable]
[for] unskilled despisers n[ot]
those who desire these things
[to] need instruc[tion], sin[ce it is]
clear, that one [may] so soon [the]
ma[chines] see and underst[and].
[May you] be pleased [with this], in the ho[pe]
[of] my afore[mentioned] gra[ndfather's]
a Br Catchword for the next page.