Page:The Construction of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms.djvu/21

INTRODUCTION. xvii on his mathematical pursuits. The very opposite, however, was the case, as at his death he left extensive estates in the Lothians, the Lennox, Menteith, and elsewhere, besides personal property which amounted to a large sum.

For fuller information regarding John Napier, the reader is referred to the Memoirs, published by Mark Napier in 1834, from which the above particulars are. mainly derived.

The ‘Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Constructio’ is the most important of all Napier’s works, presenting as it does in a most clear and simple way the original conception of logarithms. It is, however, so rare as to be very little known, many writers on the subject never having seen a copy, and describing its contents from hearsay, as appears to be the case with Baron Maseres in his well-known work, ‘Scriptores Logarithmici,’ which occupies six large quarto volumes.

In view of such facts the present translation was undertaken, which, it is hoped, will be found faithfully to reproduce the original. In its preparation valuable assistance was received from Mr John Holliday and Mr A. M. Laughton, The printing and form of the book follow the original edition of 1619 as closely as a translation will allow, and the head and tail pieces are in exact facsimile. To the work are added a few explanatory notes.

The second part of the volume consists of a Catalogue