A decorative border of repeating fleur-de-lis and floral motifs spans the top of the page.

PREFACE

TO THE BOOK

ON MEASURES,

WEIGHTS, AND COINS.

A decorative drop cap 'Q' set in a square frame with floral vine work begins the main text. I wish you to notice certain things before you read through the following treatise, so that if there has been any error, it may be corrected according to this warning. First, regarding the second page, which displays half of a Royal foot pedis Regij: The Royal Foot, or "pied du roi," was the standard unit of length in pre-revolutionary France, measuring approximately 32.48 centimeters., it appears in nearly the same size on the printed paper as it is on the brass ruler from which it was taken. This is true if the paper is stretched by hand into a flat surface, or if it lacks anything, it does not exceed a quarter of a line A "line" is a traditional unit of length equal to one-twelfth of an inch.. However, it can happen that some sheets of paper are stretched or shrunk more or less. You shall apply the remedy for this yourself, as I intended nothing else than to represent half a foot, or the twelfth part of the Châtelet toise Hexapedæ Castelleti: The Toise of the Châtelet was a physical iron standard of six feet kept at the Châtelet in Paris. It served as the official reference for all measurements in the kingdom., or the writing case original: "l'escritoire.", even though it is established that those two toises differ by a sixth part of a line.

II. The measures of the acre original: "Iugeri." A unit of land area. and of other things, which are discussed starting from the fourth page, are found in the tenth book of the Code of Henry This refers to the legal statutes regarding weights and measures issued under Henry III of France.. Since three feet, seven inches, and eight lines are attributed there to the Parisian ell ulna: The ell was a unit used primarily for measuring textiles. in the third title, and I therefore made it shorter by two lines, you should add two thirds for one half to the three feet and seven digits: that is, write eight lines, not six.

III. What has been said concerning the pound weight original: "libra ponderali." and its divisions is found in Proposition 2 of the Code of Louis XIV, Book 22, Title 10, along with other divisions. Such is the division that assigns 20 sterlings original: "stelinos." to an ounce, and 4 selins original: "selinos." or two obols to a sterling, which Jewelers and Mint inspectors use.

Regarding page 11: when I had weighed all the grains or seeds that are usually found in the market halls of Paris original: "Lutetiæ." This is the Roman name for Paris. on the scale, and since hardly any one grain among grains of the same species exactly matched another grain, I did not wish to play with uncertain things. Here, however, I add that I have quite often observed a cubic inch of brass...