the nomber of silver mynes which be founde in the contry of Alsatia, wherein it is seated. The which, as it hath the walles fortified with moste artificiall bulwarkes for to defend them without from the force of enemies, so the houses be adorned with moste curious paintings to delight within the behoulders: for the excellencie of both which it is placed emongest the cheef cities in theise partes of Germany, and renounid through all Europe for the workmanshipp of the tower, and the artificiall mocions, morall figures and astronomicall instruments inclosed in the fabricke of a clocke. The tower is moste spoken of for the arte in rearinge up a heape of so many stones, almost contrary to nature, six hundred foote highe in the aire, so geometrically that it seameth rather to hange therein then lean on any sure fondation, and that it hath continewed almost this four hundred yeares. I assure you, sir, to behoulde the same, beinge in the topp thereof, it seameth to have threatned mine ever since the first hower it was built, passadge lying open through every stone thereof to the winde and the weather in sutch sorte that I scarcely remember my beinge on the heith thereof without a tremblinge terrour, consideringe that I might have fallen to the grownde every moment throwghe the same. There is added to this rare heith a mervelous sensible deceipt of the behoulder, for it seameth not to be by the half so high, to take the vewe thereof from the foundation. 1 attribute this to the smale hould the beames of the eyes can have on the stones of this buildinge, beinge everie waie (as I before have mencioned) perflatiles, and the force of the sight beinge divided into so many and sundry partes (by the meanes of those chiones it lighteth on when any man looketh up to the tower,) is made more weake and feable, and, therefore, cannot by reflection bringe backe to the eyes the perfect forme of the object ; for the sence of seinge beinge the servaunt of the mynde, dooth represent by the eyes (which be, as Plato termeth them, ad animam perforatæ fenestræ, the trew shape of that thinge it was commaunded to behould, sendinge forthe his beames, as bailifs, to arest the object to appeare before reason that keap- eth his coort in man^s mynde ; which, beinge vearye svvifte, escapeth, and is not attayned to by pursute; and by that reason, lookinge on a whirlinge wheele, wee discerne not the spookes thereof, nor on birdes flyinge wee see no fethers; or yf the object be veary farr of, as out of his bailiwike, he retoorneth non est inventus; and therefore we attaine not by sight the grasse that groweth on mountaines farr of, nor discern branches though wee behould the trees; or if they be
