Page:Euclid's Elements 1714 Barrow translation.djvu/8

 originally quite different, not that of writing the Elements of Geometry after what method oever I pleas'd, but of demontrating, in as few words as poible I cou'd, the whole Works of Euclide. As to four of the Books, viz. ''the eventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth, altho' they don't o nearly appertain to the Elements of plain and olid Geometry, as the ix precedent and the two ubequent, yet none of the more skilful Geometricians can be o ignorant as not to know that they are very ueful for Geometrical matters, not only by reaon of the mighty near affinity that is between Arithmetick and Geometry, but alo for the knowledge of both meaurable and unmeaurable Magnitudes, o exceeding neceary for the Doctrine of both plain and olid figures. Now the noble Contemplation of the five Regular Bodies that is contain'd in the three lat Books, cannot without great Injutice be pretermitted, ince that for the ake thereof our, being a Philoopher of the Platonic Sect, is aid to have compos'd this univeral Sytem of Elements; as'' Proclus lib. 2.'' witneeth in thee Words,. Beides, I eaily perwaded my elf to think, that it would not be unacceptable to any Lover of thee Sciences to have in his Poeion the whole Euclidean Work, as it is commonly cited and celebrated by all Men. Wherefore I reolv'd to omit no Book or Propoition of thoe that are found in P. Herigonius's Edition, whoe Steps I was oblig'd cloely to follow, by reaon I took a Reolution to make ue of mot of the Schemes of the aid Book, very well foreeeing that time would not allow me to form''