THOMAS HOOD TO LORD BURGHLEY.

[MS. Lansd. No. 101, Art. 12.]

To the righte honorable Sir William Cecill, Knighte; Lorde Burleighe, Lorde Treasurer of Englande.

Maie it please you, righte Honorable, to understande, That forsomuche as the maintenance of the mathematicall lecture, and other necessaries belonginge thereunto dependeth especiallie upon the execution of certaine articles confirmed by the right honorable the lords of her Majesties Privie Counsell concerninge the capitanes of the trained bandes in the citie of London, and the erectinge of a mathematicall lecture therein, I did therefore in humble manner request theire favorable letters to the Lord Maior and his bretheren for the speedie execution of the said articles. To my peticion I receaved this answeare: That it pleased the right honorable lords in my behalfe to directe theire letters to the Lord Maior and his bretheren, requestinge them to move those which had binne contributaries to my lecture to continew theire benevolence towarde the same as they had begonne. The which answere, Righte Honorable, as it seemed greatlie to favour my preferment, so am I bownde to be thanckfull for the same. But consideringe that my wages dependeth not upon the contribution of anie certaine number of men, but upon the promise of the Lord Maior and the citie, I feared that their Honours letters so directed wolde be an hinderance to my purpose, I was bolde therefore to renew my peticion unto theire Lords, whereunto an answere was retorned in these wordes. That theire Honours were readie to grante the same, so farre forthe as your Honour wolde consent thereunto, wherefore my request unto you, Right Honorable, is this, That consideringe my peticion containeth nothinge prejudiciall to the honour and profite of the commonwealth, or that hathe not by your Lordships hande binne adjudged convenient, and earnestlie requested by the whole citie, it wolde please your Lordship to further the same; and I doubte not but as I shall thincke myselfe bounde unto your Honour, and the rest for your greate and singuler favour, so you shall have just occasion to saie (in respecte of that good which by mine endevour shall arise to the common wealth) that your benefite was bestowed upon a painefull thanckfull and well deservinge man*.

Your Honours,
Most humble,
Thomas Hood.

TYCHO BRAHE TO SIR THOMAS SAVELLE. [MS. Harl. No. 6995, Art. 40, Orig.]

Literas tuas circa initia Septembris ad me Hamburgo perscriptas, vir præstantissime eruditissimeque, misit huc clarissimus vir D. Doctor Winshemius, easque dum peregre in Seelandia absum, die 22 Novembris recepi, quæ mihi admodum gratæ erant. Nec enim insolitum quid accidit, si viri eruditi, in variis Europæ locis utut de facie mihi ignoti, ad me subinde dent literas. Quod et ego vicissim per occasionem facere non supersedeo. Non tamen ita mihi ipsi placeo, nec tanto me dignor honore quo tu candore et benevolentia singulari erga me potius allectus, quam quod ejuscemodi quid agnoscam, me afficis. Si præsens præsentem aliquando allocutus fuisses, ex quo sic aliquoties animum induxeras, equidem tuus huc accessus mihi percharus evenisset. Solent præter alias nationes diversas tui quoque conterranei Angli me quotannis, æstatis præsertim tempore crebrò invisere, quos et, uti par est, in pretio habeo, et prout cujusque fert ingenium atque desiderium, libenter cum illis de re qualibet proposita confero, quot et tuum non gravatim facerem, cum ex literis tuis perspiciam, tanquam ex ungue Leonem, te ingenii acumine judicio et eloquentia præpollere, modo AEölus atque Neptunus tam averso animo mihi tuum huc adventum non invidissent. Reddentur fortè alias placatiores, nam et eos qui ventis atque undis præsunt, instar eorum mutabiles esse condecet. Nec fera tempestas toto perdurat in anno. Dabitur forsan aliquando occasio, qua his faventibus et benignius aspirantibus, id quod hactenus non successit, commodius expedies. Eris mihi, ubi id evenerit, hospes apprime acceptus. Interim quod licet et decet, quodque a me tam obnixe expetis, praestare non intermittam. Mitto siquidem bina exemplaria libri nostri secundi de recentioribus cæli phænomenis. Licet enim non libenter hæc a cæteris tomis, nondum typis integre absolutis, avello, tamen tuæ sinceræ et amicæ petitioni morem gerere volui. Habebis et reliquos, sine quibus hic penè mutilus est, quando typis nostris ad colophonem fuerint deducti. Interea temporis per otium hunc, quo nunc te dono, evolve, disquire, dijudica. Et si quid in hoc dubii, aut minus apodictice prolatum adinveneris, ingenuè admone, tuamque et aliorum præstantium in Anglia philosophorum de singulis eruditam censuram, sive pro sive contra nos faciat, conquire,

audacter profer, neque per literas, cum libera restituetur navigatio, de his certiorem redde. Vale et magnificum spectatissimumque virum dominum Danielem Rogersium, regineæ Majestatis consiliarium atque secretarium dignissimum, (qui etiam legationis huc in Daniam munere functus, me cum suo comitatu aliquando invisere non est gravatus) meo nomine saluta, unaque illum de mihi promisso serenissimae reginæ privilegio librario, pro quo jam aliquoties frustra ad ipsum scripsi, admone ut mature stet promissis, quo diploma illud primo vere, si antea ob hyemis asperitatem fieri nequeat, certò obtineam, cum cæteris quibusdam, ab imperatore atque aliis regibus impetratis, operibus nostris præfigendum. Aut si privilegium illud non est missurus, indicet saltem, quod et cur id non concedatur, sicque fidem datam apud me sufficienter redemerit, eritque excusatus. Saluta quoque meo nomine officiosè nobilissimum et excellentissum dominum Johannem Dee, quem in patriam feliciter reversum audivi, ipsique hoc nomine congratulor, omniaque prospera opto. Nobilissimum quoque et pariter eruditissimum mathematicum Thomam Diggessæum* ex meo ore non insalutatum relinque, cui etiam ex animo faveo et bene cupio. Utrique autem horum librum nostrum transmissum ostende, ut et illi in eum disquirant atque suam de ejus contentis sententiam liberè pronuntient. Quod si literis ad me datis præstiterint, ego et respondere et amicitiam in posterum cum illis colere atque de j' philosophicis et mathematicis jucunde conferre nequaquam detrectabo. Iterum atque iterum diu et bene vale. Dabantur Vraniburgi, calendis Decembris, anno 1590. Tycho BRAHE.

Addidi quaterna exemplaria meæ effigiei nuper Amsterodami cupro insculptae. Si qui sunt apud vos excellentes poetæ, quales in fœcunda et facunda vestra, et terra et vena, plurimos inveniri non dubito ; cuperem, ut argutum aliquod epigramma im icona hanc atque operum meorum commendationem delectationis ergo luderent. Qua in re eruditissimus dominus Daniel Rogersius, suam quoque erga me probare posset benevolentiam modo à Reipublicæ serioribus negotiis tantillulum vacaretf.

Clarissimo inprimisque erudito viro Domino Thomæ Savillo, Anglo, amico suo dilecto.

JOHN BULKELEY TO THOMAS HARRIOT.
[MS. Orig. in Sion College.]

Erudito viro Thomæ Harrioto amico suo Johannes Bulkelaeu* salutem dicit.

Obtemperavi tibi tandem, mi Harriote, et felici auspicio id factum sit, si tacuissem mea mihi non meruissent, aut nunc fortasse suo judicio perivit sueto. Non eo animo aut consilio hæc scripsi, quo laudem hinc mihi aliquam acquirere contenderem, si vituperim effugiam voti mei compos fiam. Legimus in proœmio quarti [libri] Conicorum Apollonii, Cononem Samium, quem Archimedes vir acerrimi judicii propter ejus singularem prudentiam summis laudibus extulit, a Nicotele Cyrenæo tanquam non recte in demonstrationibus versatum reprehensum fuisse. Scripsit quoque Eutocius Ascalonita inventa initasse Erastosthenis Nicomedem ; atque Socratem, Apollonio oraculo sapientissimum judicatum, nichilominus carpebat Aristophanes. Denique Archimedi ipsi quandoquidem non defuit reprehensor. Quomodo ego sperabo me posse carere calumnia? Verum si criticorum morsibus dilaniare in te cudetur faba, qui tua culpa, tua, inquam, maxima culpa, præcipua causa fuisti cur hæc mea, qualiacumque sint, in lucem perclaram prodierunt, quæ antea demi in tuto silentii moenibus defensa latebant. Quamobrem in tuam tutelam protegenda suscipias velim, quoniam tibi tuoque nomini ea dicamus tanquam amicitiæ quæ inter nos mihi ob virtutem solam interessit. Hisce igitur laborantibus, ubi opus sit suppetias ferre (uti confido) ex humanitate tua et ingenii acumine non dedignabere. Vale. Ex aulula Mona, pridie calend. Martii, anno 1591*.

EDMUND JENTILL TO LORD BURGHLEY.

[MS. Lansd. 77, Art. 59.]
October 1st, 1594.

In all humilitie (right honorable) have I presumed, upon the reportes by my poore wief of your most favorable and gratious meaninge towardes my relief and release in this my distressed estate, by letter to solicite your lordship and to confesse my fault unto your honor, to lay before you suche frutes of my studdies as maye at least attenuate the offence, and move compassion in your honors mynd for my delivery. My cryme is counterfetinge of Forren coyne not currant in this realme; urged therunto, I doe protest, not through anye vitious or lascivious kind of lyvinge, but through meere and extreame want of mayntenance to susteyne my wief in her long contynued child-birth sicknes, the relief of myself and children, buyinge of bookes, paying of debtes and triall of conclusions mathematicall and serviceable for my countryes good; the frutes and finall endes wherof, not suche as are common or triviall, but rare and to great use in anie state or comonwelth, not fytt for vulgar knowledge, I heere moste humbly offer in redemption of my great amisse and fault comitted, to bee performed within some smale tyme after my release and some mayntenance with the recovery of my helth. First an instrument, wherby the distance to anything, together with the height and breadth therof, at one stacion or standinge only, shal bee obteyned. The second, a perpetuall motion of sufficient force to dryve a myll. The third a payer of compasses, which shall describe all sortes of figures geometricall and spiral lynes, and maye, for their excellencye, bee termed the Euclidean Compas. Howe serviceable theis three are, and espetially the two first, for all kynd of services as well at sea as land in warr and peace, it is needles to dilate, when half a wourd doth make your honor knowe as muche. Only this I crave in regarde heerof your honorable and moste favorable meanes, either by warrant from your lordship and my honorable good master Sir Thomas Henage, unto the Lord Maior for my libertie (beinge as muche as he requireth), or otherwise to acquaynt her moste gratious Majestie with theis my offers to whome they are wholy dedicated, and of whose moste excellent mercye and clemencye (in regarde of my soone deliverye) my soule is well confirmed through your honors mediacion,