To the READER.
originally quite different, not that of writing the Elements of Geometry after what method ſoever I pleas'd, but of demonſtrating, in as few words as poſſible I cou'd, the whole Works of Euclide. As to four of the Books, viz. the ſeventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth, altho' they don't ſo nearly appertain to the Elements of plain and ſolid Geometry, as the ſix precedent and the two ſubſequent, yet none of the more skilful Geometricians can be ſo ignorant as not to know that they are very uſeful for Geometrical matters, not only by reaſon of the mighty near affinity that is between Arithmetick and Geometry, but alſo for the knowledge of both meaſurable and unmeaſurable Magnitudes, ſo exceeding neceſſary for the Doctrine of both plain and ſolid figures. Now the noble Contemplation of the five Regular Bodies that is contain'd in the three laſt Books, cannot without great Injuſtice be pretermitted, ſince that for the ſake thereof our ϛτοιχειωτὴς, being a Philoſopher of the Platonic Sect, is ſaid to have compos'd this univerſal Syſtem of Elements; as Proclus lib. 2. witneſſeth in theſe Words, Ὅθεν δὴ καὶ τῆς συμπάσης ϛτοιχειώσεως τέλος προεϛτήσατο τὴν τῶν καλȣμένων Πλατωνικῶν σχημάτων σύϛασιν. Beſides, I eaſily perſwaded my ſelf to think, that it would not be unacceptable to any Lover of theſe Sciences to have in his Poſſeſſion the whole Euclidean Work, as it is commonly cited and celebrated by all Men. Wherefore I reſolv'd to omit no Book or Propoſition of thoſe that are found in P. Herigonius's Edition, whoſe Steps I was oblig'd cloſely to follow, by reaſon I took a Reſolution to make uſe of moſt of the Schemes of the ſaid Book, very well foreſeeing that time would not allow me to form
