| Title: | Letter, Balthazar Gerbier To Hartlib |
|---|---|
| Dating: | 4 October 1648 |
| Ref: | 10/2/12A-15B: 15A-B BLANK |
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Paris 4me October 1648
Sir/
I haue both your of the 11th and 14th past (your Stil) att one time; and my printed paper with one of yours: My Apologie on the first js partly what I said before, that I doe not jntend to sett upp an ABC. schoole for the English tongue: to which I must add that my friends haue been so neglectfull jn putting other things to the presse att London as that I haue been constrayned to submitt my selfe to unskillfull presses att Dieppe, where I had no man to ouerssee the essayes, thus I lett the things go: I do pray you to try how jt can be mended. for jt is absolutly necessary to aduertise Fathers of families who haue Sons (lurking jn Chimney corners) to dispose to Learning <#> <left margin: # And what should they remayne for Idle all the winter> And as jt is an undertaking of charge this course must be taken before hand. cause then (I pray) the papers to bee printed ouer againe and I will pay for the Charges,
I do according to your desire send you the first Lineament of my jntended Vocabularie, which I do make jn all those Languages mentioned jn my printed Paper to which the English must bee put. Butt that I will referre to a good English man jn Language and Ortographie: one of my Sons <abroade> may serue turne <for that> [or?] I haue begunne by the French, bycause jt is the Language for the which the English do commonly start outt of England, they shall then jff they please beginne with the same, and so proceede on to the other Languages: You will finde that my Invention is to facillitate to Louers of Sciences the wayes to optayne them, Since by learning this Vocabularie theÿ may gett the Theoricall part by learning the Language. On euery Sçience mentionned jn my printed papers I do make such a discoursse as you see I haue [begunne? altered] [several words deleted] [catchword: I]
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I will according the subiect mixt the discoursses with various passages that shall [word deleted] <bee of singular use to> the reader and
I haue seene your Printed Paper and comunicated the same to Mr Doctor Boate your friend and mine. your care is laudable, may jt meete with dispositions according the meritte of the same: why did not you send me what the weekly # <left margin: # [Intelligencer?] had printed of my dessign/> The copies of letters of 1640 concerning Monsieur Le Maire tells me no Neews, for I haue seene the Man long since, and I was with the honnorable Countesse of Claire to see his Musicall Instrument. which is Harmonious, he hath many things jn his head, butt is not befreended by the best Professors of Sçiences and knowledge jn these parts, which want none that are excellent; he is a Narcissus off him selfe, and headdy on his one Inuentions; he hath jnuented neew names to the Notes of Musick, as iff you should say Ra. jnsteed of Ré, which passeth for Idle among the Musiciens; his Nepheu (a Iong stripling fine curlde heare, neate jn his band strings, and boote tops, and so forth) -- makes much a do with a neew way of Cifering: Butt to tell you the truth I found that while I was looking on his way I had cast upp the account eare he was gone half way to his one Inuention
Heare is to be seene a rare worke Inuented by Mr Pascall Sonne to a President Off this Parlement: It is a casse with Sundry wheeles att least thirty, it serue for Arithmetike: and heere you shall haue a drauft of jt
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jn lue of which I should bee glad to see a drauft of a little deuise which was jnuented jn England somme 24 yeares past beeing a little board with copper things to turne with a stick to cast accounts. this js the Instrument here att Paris
[diagram of Pascal's calculating machine]
The Bocks is of Ebonne, two foot In lenght; 9 Inches broad; accordingly jn height: The wheeles are of Copper: and seeme as so many Dialls or watches, sett with numbers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10, the two rowes aboue are copper round things, wheron appeare little white papers sett with Cifers; when the hand sturres with a Stick the wheeles belowe, those little round things aboue turne according the wheele beloowe moues, by 100/m/1., lesse, or more / the Calculation desired js made suddainly: The Bocks within [with?] <contaynes the> thirty weeles which moue according the hand turnes the uppermost wheeles, --
Butt a man must first be exact jn Arithmetike before he can make use of this Instrument, which cost 50 pistols and no rulle of three can be made butt by two of these Instruments, which are not portatiue, and Infine a Rare Invention farre saught, and deare baught: putt them jn the Storre house was the old Prince of Orange wont to saye and lett us proceede on the ordinary readdy way.
Now for what you haue payed for portage I am sorry my friend heare was so jll adrest to haue mercenary mony[altered] charged
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charged with the paquets: for what Mr Beare hath told you concerning Creditors though jt should not fright nor retarde I should haue been glad friends had been more prouident jn doing things In time as I had desired them to do. which was to agree with Creditors to settle the debts to bee payed jn three yeares by yearly proportions: I do not knowe what they are and whether I must pay them for I thinke those of my familly are the mayne cause of the Debts./ they are not [omuch?], and cannot reach to 250 ll jn all The king owith me neere two thousand pound disburst Monnies <
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And agreeing with them <and> cause them to signe the paper: I haue diuers just pretentions of monnies due to me which must be payed jn time, and therefore the Creditors cannot loose, iff they will be reasonnable, and theire owne friend And consider that when a man js out off all he cannot do any thing: I had jntreated you to looke about for a goodly habitation for our Academie, This I pray you to do, without putting your selfe to troubles. I will be on your Skirts (honnest Mr Hartlib) as soone I shall haue my Passe, and gotten monnies due to me from this Crowne, and which I haue disburst long since/ Therefore lett us thinke on all what may further our gallant dessigne, which I will <by the Grace of God> putt jn the brauist Coursse as shall redounde to the glory of the Nation [
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England. prepare and smoode you all things fitt for the same and wee shall do good things: Can you not gett annother weekly Intelligencer to mention jn his pamflett my Intention right, and giue notice of a Vocabularie. Which shall teach a ready way to Sciences, lett my name appeare, for I will bee knowne jn the businesse since no man can blush jn doing well: Pray tell to Mr Kipp that I haue receaued his letter concerning a[altered] Colonell prisonner here. That I will send his Mothers letter to him au Pont de L Arche neere [Roun?], and should bee glad to do him good for his Releasement. Butt those things concerne the State and they are not things of [Complimery?]
The Duke of Lorraine keepes a friend of myne att the Castle of Antwerpe and will haue m/3 pistols for his Ransome which angers these so much as that faire words will not moue them to release the prisonners which they haue butt on certaine feeling considerations, besides that jt is no prudence for me to medle jn such a business the times are troublesome and suspitious, the old saying must not be forgotten putt your finger jn the ground and smell jn what contry you are. The good old man thinkes that a word speaking can do the thing Butt the reuerse of the Medall js that a word speaking may do me a world off jll. So Charity must beginne att home Etc/ I should bee glad to know whether The Countesse of Claire hath receiued my letter. Its all I haue to say for the present and therefore With my hearty salutations I rest
your humble seruant
B gerbier
Mr doctor Boate is very busy for his good wyffe js jn Labour.