TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORDS

10-17-27 N.G.S.

The very Earth, though exhausted, has now brought forth these fruits. They were sown and cultivated in the Felsinean field Felsina is the ancient Etruscan name for Bologna, where Cavalieri lived and taught. by the powers of my modest talent under your fortunate protection. Moistened by the irrigating dew of your generosity, I bring these first-fruits to you, as their rightful Lords, to be tasted. Since they lack a becoming shine and proper beauty, I preferred to offer them wrapped in leaves. I did this so that your most brilliant eyes would not be offended if their rough nature were revealed at first sight. Beneath their husk, however, lies the celestial doctrine that has always seemed worthy of the greatest Princes. It is a kind of Dialectic In this context, dialectic refers to a foundational system of logic or a necessary tool for reasoning. (which I therefore judged should be titled the GENERAL URANOMETRIC DIRECTORY Uranometric comes from the Greek words for "heaven" and "measure." It refers to the measurement of celestial distances and positions.). This is so necessary for anyone seeking to master Astronomy that an Edict could be posted for it, similar to the one inscribed on the doors of Plato's Academy: LET NO ONE IGNORANT OF TRIGONOMETRY ENTER original Greek: ΟΥΔΕΙΣ ΑΤΡΙΓΩΝΟΜΕΤΡΙΤΩΣ ΕΙΣΙΤΩ. Cavalieri is cleverly adapting the famous motto of Plato's Academy, which originally forbid those ignorant of geometry from entering.. Yet I fear that once this husk is removed and the work is set before the eyes of all, it will remain unnoticed, unless it borrows the vital light it could not possess by its own birth from your combined splendor. It does not escape me that the Hall is sometimes surrounded by darkness, with many circular hollows...