Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 001.djvu/115



This long expected Subterraneous World, is now come to light, dedicated (at least the Exemplar, that hath been perused by the Publisher of these Papers, who hears, That other Copies bear Dedication to other Great Princes) both to the present Pope, as being esteemed by the Author to have a part of his Apostolical Kingdom there; and to the Roman Emperor now Regnant, who indeed in his Kingdom of Hungary, and in several Provinces of Germany, hath very many and very considerable things, worthy to be observed, under Ground.

To give the Curious a taste of the Contents of this Volume, and thereby to excite them to a farther search into the recesses of Nature, for the composure of a good Natural History; they may first take notice, That the Author, having given an account in the Preface, what encouragement he received, for writing this Book, from the opportunity of Travelling with the Cardinal of Hassia into Sicily (in which Voyage, he saith, He met with, as it were, an Epitome of what may be observable in the Subterraneous parts of the Earth; and, in particular, with an Earth-quake of 14 days duration, very instructive to him concerning several great Secrets of Nature:) having, I say, thus Prefaced, he divideth his Work into 12 Books, wherein he affirms not onely to have explicated the Divine Structure of the under-ground World, and the wondrous distribution of the Work-houses of Nature, and her Majesty and Riches therein; but also to have opened the Causes of her Effects and Productions; whence, by the Marriage of Nature and Art, a happy Issue may follow for the use and benefit of Humane Life.

In the first Book, he considers the nature of the Centre of the Earth, where he delivers several Paradoxes touching the same, and Discourses of the Motion of heavy Bodies, of Pendulems, of Projectils.

Rh