with the Latin translation of his father; if it does, it may have been purposely accommodated to that Latin translation by the son, and thus both of them together will determine the readings of the Greek text, which they found in some of the MSS. of that age in Italy prior to all other editions of the tract except the Aldine editions of 1495 and 1508, both of which are very incorrect, and possibly both made from a single MS. at Venice, without any collation with others in Italy. I bought this edition for three shillings, and doubt whether there be any other copy in Britain.* I propose also when at leisure to compare it further with the edition by Winstanley in 1780, as being the latest and most authentic except that of Tyrwhitt; and I perceive already that the Greek does sometimes differ from the Latin, which gives it the greater value as more strictly following the MSS. before the editor. One advantage at least may be obtained from this copy, that it will explain in a more clear manner some notes which Winstanley has inserted in his edition, being copied verbatim from the edition by Sylburgius at Frankfort 1584, and which at present are too brief not to be ambiguous and perplexing to readers; of this I will give some examples which occur to me already relative to Paccius. In the seventh chapter, p. 25, the following note is copied by Winstanley from Sylburgius [Ετι δε επει το καλον] Bas. Margo, ετι δε καλον It is mentioned by Dibdin as rare and valuable. Editor. Victorius quoque annotat Paccium omisisse particulam, quæ et magni est ponderis, et tum in impressis, tum in calamo exaratis libris exstet. Sylburg. Now it is not said which Basil edition is here meant, whether that in 1531 or 1550: the former was before the Greek edition by Paccius in 1536, therefore, that different reading in Margine could not have been copied from the Greek Paccius; this then may seem to give some authority to it, as if copied from some Greek MS. by the Basil editor. But the real fact is, that Sylburgius meant by Basil the edition of 1550 only, for he mentions this edition only in his dedication to Victorius, where he calls it Isingrinii, and rightly; and he takes no notice of the first edition in 1531. Winstanley therefore ought not to have perplexed his readers with a various reading, which has no authority for it in any Greek MS. whatever; for what he adds is expressed by Sylburgius ambiguously, but equally without authority when he says that Victorius mentions Paccius as omitting π, for he does not tell us whether Victorius meant in the Greek text of Paccius the son, or the Latin translation by the father; now the real fact is that the Greek text there also has inserted, and only spelt erroneously; but the Latin has indeed no word to express ; it must then have been only the Latin translation of Paccius, which Victorius meant, and which Winstanley after Sylburgius has thus left in doubt; but an omission in the Latin is no sufficient authority for a different Greek text. This whole note therefore ought not to have been inserted, as being without good authority and full of ambiguity, by no mention being made, that it refers only to the Latin of Paccius, which is expressly contradicted by the Greek text of the son. I perceive several other examples where the pages of Winstanley are burthened with similar notes, tending only to perplex students, and destitute of good foundation: the Greek text of ancient authors has come down to us sufficiently full of errors, and we need not increase them without any reason. The following translation is that by Paccius, "Ad hæc pulchrum sive animal, sive quodcunque ex aliquibus compositum, non ordine tantum, verum etiam congruenti magnitudine constare debet." The omission here of the sense of ε may have been only because he found it spelt ε in the MSS. The mistakes of former editions ought not to be preserved from oblivion. S. ART. DCCCXXVI. The Whetstone of Witte, whiche is the seconde part of Arithmetike: containyng thextraction of Rootes: The Cossike practise, with the rule of Equation, and the woorkes of Surde Nombers. Though many stones doe beare greate price, But ose his helpe; yet as men see, Noe sharpnesse seemeth in it to bee. The GROUNDE OF ARTES did brede this son; These bookes are to bee solde at the West doore of Poules, by Ihon Kyngstone. [Colophon.] Imprinted at London, by Ihon Kyngston. Anno Domini 1557. 4to. b. l. Sig. R. r. in fours. This work is by ROBERT RECORD, a famous urinal physician. He was born in Wales, about the year 1525, and died a prisoner in the King's Bench, 1558 He published several works as well on mathematics and geometry as arithmetic. Some of his pieces are now only known by report. In his Epistle Dedicatory "To the Right Worshipfull the Gouerners, Consulles, and the rest of the Companie of Venturers into Moscouie" prefixed to this work, is a notice of an intended publication. "I may perceiue, that you doe accept it, (as I doubt not) with as good a wille, as I dooe send it, I will for your pleasure, to your comforte, and for your commoditie, shortly set forthe soche a book of nauigation, as I dare saye shall partli satisfie and contente, not onely your expectation, but also the desire of a greate nomber beside. Wherein I will not forgett specially to touche, bothe the olde attempte for the Northlie Nauigations, and the later good aduenture, with the fortunate successe in discoueryng that voiage, which noe man before you durste attempte, sith the tyme of Kyng Alurede his reigne. I meane by the space of 700 yere. Nother euer any before that tyme, had passed that voiage, excepted onely Ohthero, that dwelte in Halgolande, who reported that iorney to the noble Kyng as it doth yet remaine in auncient recorde of the olde Saxon tongue. So that if you continue with corage, as you haue well begon, you shall not onely winne greate riches to your selves, and bryng wonderfull commodities to your countrie; but you shall purchase therewith immortall fame, and be praised for euer, as reason would, for openyng that passage, that shall profit so many. In that boke also I will shewe certain meanes, howe without great difficultie, you maie saile to the North East Indies, and so to Camul, Chinchital, and Balor, which bee countries of greate commodities. As for Chatai it lieth so far within the land toward the southe Indian seas, that the iorneie is not to be attempted vntill you be better acquainted with those countries.' In a preface to the gentle reader the power and excellence of numbers and the use and necessity of them in divinity, law, physick, astronomy, measure and weight, is argued and asserted. "Plato thinketh noe manne hable to bee a good capitaine, excepte he bee skilfull in this arte, and wee accoumpte it noe parte of those qualities that bee required in any soche manne.”—“This maie I saie, that as I haue doen in other artes, so in this I am the first venturer in these darke matters." There are two pieces of poetry follow" of the rule of cose," and "to the curious |