Page:Euclid's Elements 1714 Barrow translation.djvu/7



''f you are deirous, Courteous Reader, to know what I have perform'd in this Edition of the Elements of Euclide, I hall here explain it to you in hort, according to the nature of the Work. I have endeavor'd to attain two ends chiefly; the firt, to be very perpicuous, and at the ame time o very brief, that the Book may not well to uch a Bulk, as may be troubleome to carry about one, in which I think I have ucceeded, unles in my abence the Printer's care hould frutrate my Deign. Some of a brighter Genius, and endued with greater Skill, may have demontrated mot of thee Propoitions with more nicety, but perhaps none with more uccinctnes than I have; epecially ince I alter'd nothing in the number and order of the Author's Propoitions; nor preum'd either to take the liberty of rejecting, as les neceary, any of them, or of reducing ome of the eaier ort into rank of Axioms, as everal have done; and among others, that mot expert Geometrician A. Tacquetus C. (whom I the more willingly name, becaue I think it is but civil to acknowledge that I have imitated him in ome Points) after whoe most acurate Edition I had no Thoughts of attempting any thing of this nature, till I conider'd that this mot learned Man thought fit to publih only eight of Euclide's Books, which he took the pains to explain and embellih, having in a manner rejected and undervalued the other even, as les appertaining to the Elements of Geometry. But my Province was''