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A BRIEF

PREFACE

TO THE FIRST PART

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VITRUVIUS, the architect of the ancient Romans and easily the foremost among them all, confirms in the eighth book of his work on architecture original: "Architectonicæ libro" the benefits of the element of water. These benefits, which cannot be praised enough, provide for both the necessities and the delights of humanity through artistic channels and diversions. He supports this with many testimonies from ancient naturalists and philosophers.

Later, in his Ninth Book, he records that CTESIBIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, the son of a certain barber, was the first to build various machines by observing the various impulses and movements of water and air. These included clocks, water-clocks clepsydras: ancient devices that measured time by the regulated flow of water, and fountains. He also imitated the various voices of small birds and the sounds of musical instruments. Vitruvius also notes that HERON, a fellow countryman of Ctesibius, followed him shortly after in the same kind of craftsmanship. Many of Heron's ingenious inventions still survive in his writings.

However, the fact that this HERON was accustomed to relying on mechanical skills or manual operations rather than on philosophical or mathematical demonstrations is well known. He wrote the greatest part of his work without a certain rationale, and his inventions are often found to fail in actual practice, as experience speaks loudly enough.

Therefore, since we intended to publish certain secrets of the water-leading art hydragogicæ artis: the science or technique of channeling and moving water, the most pleasant play of leaping water, and the most delightful spectacles of artistically bubbling fountains for the use of the studious reader and new craftsmen, it seemed worthwhile to point out and uncover some errors from the beginning. These errors, in our opinion, would be harmful, just as JOHANNES BAPTISTA PORTA Giambattista della Porta (1535–1615) was an Italian scholar and polymath known for his works on natural magic and pneumatics. reviews them in his work on Pneumatics. We do not doubt that this will be of some use to those who understand these matters, and will provide an opportunity for more and better works to be published in the future.

Furthermore, let the BENEVOLENT READER know that this treatise is divided into four parts. The first part explains, both in words and in diagrams original: "schematismis", the nature of air and water, and the ways in which water is forced to rise by the power of air.