A PREPARATIVE TO plaiting OF lands and Tenements for survey. showing THE diversity OF sundry instruments applied thereunto. Patched up as plainly together, as boldly offered to the courteous view and regard of all worthy Gentlemen, louers of skill. And published in stead of his flying papers, which cannot abide the pasting to posts.  
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Scarlet. 1596.   

A preparative to plaiting of Lands and tenements for survey, showing the diversity of sundry Instruments, applied thereunto.  
I Was determined, most worthy Gent. for so I must term the mathematical Clients: to haue freely bestowed vpon you sundry conclusions in the Quadriuials, both pleasant, profitable, and necessary: which I haue by my reading and long practise:( for I take thirty yeares to be a large stitch in a short age,) gathered, experienced, and so sorted together, as I had thereupon after the homliest fashion framed, and prepared my ingredience thereunto. But perceiving that the working, setting out, and cutting, of the same to the press, would be full of charges: that yourselves first trained and taught therein by brief, apt, and lively demonstrations, shall the better understand and carry, what hereafter may be written, as also through some other especial considerations moving me hereunto, I haue altered the whole course of my passage, and am resolved to stay the same in my pen, until better opportunity, only giuing you now a taste hereby of the difference of certain Instruments used in our practise, whereby you may so make your choice of the same, as you shall neither bee wearied with tediousness, nor defrayed, and put of with uncertainty and error. Why I had determined before, and do now set down as followeth, groweth vpon the infinite and extreme imperfections, that I find in most places where I become, to be daily committed, as well in measure, as plaiting of land to any use, or purpose whatsoever: which are such and so many, as the people generally begin to doubt, whether there be any certainty, and persection, in the operation of such instruments as are applied thereunto, yea, or not. The practise hereof for survey of lands and tenements, is but new, and scarcely established: notwithstanding I do affirm and undertake, that it is certain, perfect, and true, without any want or defect: and to the said use of survey of all other devices by books or otherwise most sure and lasting. It were then an exceeding loss to the common weal, a dangerous harming of peace between the Lord and his tenants, between neighbour and neighbour &c. which otherwise by such Serueighs might bee kept sound and inviolate: and a foul blemish unto learning and knowledge, if this excellent practise should bee overthrown, and destroyed by abusing the same. And although my hast and vnreadines to this my alteration, are likely to perform but an homely admonition, the one bringing forth a blind birth, and the other an vnshapen lump: yet may nine daies cherishing give light to the first, and nine hours licking put fashion to the last. And yourselves( if you please) make such favourable regard,& acceptation therof as it may bee sufficient and full to the purpose whereunto it is bent: assuring all persons whatsoever, that mine intention is not to the offence of any one, but onely for the preferring of truth in these actions. That I may avoid confusion in delivery of your cates, and won hope of better cheer, at our meeting, then you are likely to find. I will briefly set down, what shal be your fare. You shal first haue a plain table, faire spread, with white cover: which may peradventure, in seeming promise unto you many dainties, although vpon trial, it will hardly perform sufficient necessaries. It is so plain, smooth, and square, without hills or dales, ascentes or descentes, bread rising or drink sinking: as it offereth not so much as a Proficiat with the smoothness, nor the perfect closing of a Circular conclusion with the squarenes. Ther is also the staff, Astrolabe, Square, Ring Ruler, Circumferentor, Sector, and half protractor, with infinite such other, framed after the fantasy of the Deuisor: all which scarcely perfect parcels and lims of the spherical mover, I do esteem, and regard for their uses in demonstration accordingly. And the plain table, and some of the rest, for plaiting and forming of sum plain parcels of land, to the measure, I allow and mislike not. But for exact workmanship of almaner of even and vnleuel subiects Ad infinitum, for survey and entry of evidence, for perpetuity: neither the one of them, or the other, as they are yet prepared, is meet and sufficient.  
Take lastly therefore the Theodolite, or spherical Instrument fully furnished, with her partes, aptly appoynted, for the through, and exact accomplishment both by Sea& land, of all practise for measure whatsoever: and in the same included, the perfection of al maner of plaiting, leading you with facility, expedition,& pleasure, by leuels& plains, hills& dales, rough& smooth wheresoever. Now it resteth that I crave favourable patience of al Surueighors, stewards,& land measures, using the former Instruments only for a few words, promising myself ready, not onely to hear, but also to be reformed, if I shall report any thing amiss. twenty and five yeares past or there abouts I used the said table, sometime directed by needles, sometime by the former Station, as is now used, sometime in the middle of the cloase, some time by the bounders &c. I considered hir defects, neglected the same, and took me wholly to thee Theodolite, whereupon, I haue ever since practised, to the daily increase of my liking, as well for perfection, and expedition, as for the infinite, and rare uses thereof, being accordingly prepared. The table through her lightness, and shrinking to the wether, is tottering, and unsure, and oftentimes dangerous: even by the heavy and gross handling thereof. The points, lines, and other observations, are again often so blemished, and blurred with wet, as their use is thereby clean taken away: and the same otherwhile, so put down in hast, for fear of a storm, as maketh great difference in a small scale, neither is there any comparison in a point, line, angle or measure wrought in the fields and foul wether, unto the operations, framed in a well lighted house, vpon a faire level, and smooth table: the eye& hand hanging plum over the work, to be set down vpon Angles, measures,& all other regards curiously taken, and noted abroad. The Stations made by the board, are commonly short and therefore the more errors. The sights of her Index are in many of them more than a foot erected from the base, and I haue often tried the perpendicular of the radius, or visual line to fault a straw breadth from the fiducial side of their Scale: which happeneth as well by the great distance aforesaid, as also in that their said Scale, is sometime thicker on the one side, then on the other: besides the stirring and untrue placing of the same unto their last line drawn on their paper. If they haue not large and perfect needles( which they seldom or never use) they direct their instrument from their last station, where they leave commonly one standing: and there is also an error, through the thickness, or stirring of that person, besides doubling of the same fault, in their next Angle, taken likewise upon their for most measurer. And one error committed in these practices, suffereth a multiplication infinite in as much as is after sollowing and depending: And in great labours, of five or six weekes in the fields: the charges of such one needless person, is more then noted of such honest gentle men, as would willingly but bear the necessary expenses of a perfect survey, as is also the loss of time, made by that whole company in a tempestuous season. again, they are tied to their Scale, and cannot alter the same at their pleasure, neither take they advantage of all places within the Circuit of their charge, taking up their travail at Randon, for their ease, and most advantage: but must begin where they left: and if they make an intolerable fault, they are enforced to work and work over again. moreover it is a difficult toil and almost impossible to knit and fasten together exactly as they ought their several labours, in single papers made of the fields and closes particularly taken, although there be that in certain passages, cutteth and crosseth over the whole work,( which is as as uncertain as the rest) with sundry other inconveniences as themselves do confess. But the thing indeed which causeth their inevitable errors,& hath persuaded many wise and excellent persons, to doubt whether there be perfection in mapping of lands and tenements for survey, yea or not, is the vneuenes of the grounds, by their great difference, in hill and dale, from a level superficies, in that wee are necessary compelled to put down our practise vpvpon books that are unveil and smooth, Hpcopus est hic labour. Here is the hardness of the province, the roote of the sore,& pinch of the shoe Here( as children skipp where they cannot red) they are driven at an ouerclose, to draw out their line, and at an vndershut, onely by aim and randon, to take in the same, they woat not where, nether skilleth it much, for the fault is every where. To module,& imbosse their books, after the nature of the ground, were tedious, difficult, infinite,& almost impossible: And if al these preceding defects, wants,& inconveniences were not incident unto the Table, and instruments aforesaid, yet should this mine error( if it be any) be drawn into a heresy: because I assure you, I haue not hitherto seen any one thing for survey, by that, or like instrument perfectly concluded, but commonly the hedges and bounders laid strait or little better, from angle to angle, are extreemely differing both in form, measure and content, from their original itself. And I haue seen several measurements taken by the plain table,& set down particularly under sundry mens hands, differing xv acres, from the most unto the least, in the sum of one hundred and twenty, valued and sold, at nine pounds, and ten shillings, for every acre. And in my coming to London, this last term, I saw a plain Table, man( mary he was a plumber, and had learned from a Painter) in less than an acre and half, of level marrish ground taken by some ●oure, stations fel short at his cloase two perches at the least. And an ancient country measurer at the same time, a man highly regarded among his neighbors, for his undoubted skill: differed in one hundred& ten acres, two and twenty at the least, in two several measures, taken and set down onely by himself. But they say the table is easy and plain. It is so indeed, as many do use it, and a boy of twelve yeares of age, may in three houres learn as much as some of them do perform vpon the same. But, Aspera ad virtutem via,& quò pulchrius eo difficilius. Would they come by so sweet a curnell, without cracking of the nut? They are termed Surueighors, if they but once show forth a plain table: and are content to arrogate and challenge that name to themselves: but they must turn a new leaf, and take further an other lesson before they finish a good and perfect survey of a manner or Lordship in all parts as are requisite and meet: I speak onely of such as haue not the tongues, learning, experience and other abiliments necessary thereunto. And now to the Theodolite: Let the same be massy,& transparent( if you may) large& perfectly divided, close& full vpon the supporter or staff, with an Index equally moving,& needle true, and well hanging, together such other furniture, as I will ad to the same, and it shall not only remove every defect, and inconvenience of the plain table, and all other instruments aforesaid but also readily accomplish in measure& plaiting, whatsoever you may wish, and duly desire. Enter then your practise for a country, manner, Lordship &c. In the middle, or where you best like, observe, and quote your Angles every way as they light: sometime half a dozen at a station, more or less, and follow on for your most advantage, so as if the enclosures,& grounds be but indifferently ready, and handsome: you may make a particular dispatch daily of four or five hundred acres at the least. You shall in your passage vpon long stations( if the subject so serveth) readily observe every curue, bending,& declination of your hedges, bounders, watercourses, or other tracts whatsoever. Also the scites of buildings, with their lengths, bredthes& forms: together with gates, stiles, bars, waterings, plumpes of trees, tofts, banks, turns of ditches, and whatsoever else meet to be considered. And besides in vnleauell and vneuen grounds, the difference of the superficial and essential line, from the horizontal and base: which line you shall skillfully sink, or erect vpon your book, unto your first intended unveil( for of necessity that must bee done) so as the just content of such vneuen grounds be not any way harmed: neither the parcels contigue, or adjoining maimed, or deformed: and yet every mans several interest, claim, and demand, perfectly bounded and preserved, yea although in time to come, al maner of hedges and divisions should bee clean plucked up by the roots. Finally, the said instrument hole, and vnhalting, as it carrieth the form of the first mover, which commandeth all inferior creatures, and is preferred as most perfect and capable, by the wisdom and ordinance of the Creator: so in use and operation( if ye look skilfully thereinto, this Theodolite commandeth every one of her subiects. It carrieth in itself all manner of of Angles, measures, numbers and proportions, I might say weight, for mine is near twenty pounds troy( see howe I trifle.) It enforceth grounds in what quantity soever, be it ten thousand acres unto the form, likeness and similitude of any figure in the world, varying again the same any way at your pleasure, so full and exactly, as any Artificer may set out his devise with ruler and compass: It presently divideth, such or any other quantity of land into so many equal, or limited differing parts, as you would de sire:& every one of thē, into what form or forms yourself shal best like of, which is also necessary for Surueighors, Builders, Imparkers, gardeners, Planters and such like. Touching many words, and much a do about Reduction of figures, after Euclides demonstrations: I tell you truly the same engine carrieth in itself euclid, Pithagoras, Archimedes, Architas, and the rest, with their points, draughts, Lines, theorems, Theoricks, Propositions, Figures, and mathematical conclusions, not in Elements, shows, speculations, and demonstrations, but in the work& operation itself, whereunto they were devised& framed. And I will not doubt, in such or& any other quantity of land, as is aforesaid, form& set out in portraiture( if you show me his shape) ● well Euclid himself, as every one of his works and conclusions. And whereas a skilful person( unto me unknown, yet duly regarded, for report of his learning,) was lately employed( as I I hear) in bounding the liberty for the university of Oxford, touching their provision to bee taken in markets there, without inpeachment of her majesties Officers &c. I doubt not but that he in tracting his limited distance( whether of four or five miles, in a strait line from his center, carried himself in a Circular motion equally distant from the same, unto his first Circumferential station, for the accomplishment thereof: for( in my opinion,) that was both the best, and readiest way, for the well performance of so rare and worthy an exploit. And this said instrument prepared as before, for the regard of vneuen, and vnleuell grounds, doth artificially frame& raise up, hills, Mountes and walks whether for, fortification or pleasure, so diversely well formed as may yield an especial liking and contentment to the beholders thereof: and is a secret in the Theodolite, so lately by me found out, as I haue not yet any where practised the same. For plaiting of grounds inaccessible, grounds surrounded with water, with gauging their difference, in ascent,& discent &c. true forming the frontiers& coasts of any country in your Sea passage, lying within your kenning,& infinite such other conclusions, as they are incident and necessary to survey, so may they by that instrument be aptly performed in measure of all sorts, superficial, and solid, Regular and irregular, acessible and in acessible, it commandeth so roundly and full, as I haue not yet known any mensurable subject, priueledged and freed from the force of the same: whether in celestial or terrestrial regions. And I think it a matter both pleasant and profitable, that but once seated in the middle of a quadrangle sumptuously builded about, I may take( by pitching& fastening my instrument onely in that place) all manner of measures there subject to mine eye whatsoever, as well for the regard of the woorkemens labour, of all sorts( knowing their allowance,) as for the carrying away of a perfect plate, for framing the like. I haue also prepared my instrument for the erection of Dials horizontal, murall &c. as well for finding the meridian, and all other plagues, as the declination, and difference of walls and other perpendiculars, from the same, which in such actions, are especially to bee regarded. And thus much for the instrument, which some peradventure will think to bee spoken confidently, peremptorilie, and with a touch of presumption: as if I had or would haue some pretty skill in the same: But if I haue therein taken a note above Ela, or drawn beyond the nocke, I haue but abounded in my sense, and been partial in commending for my choice and best liking: The maner how to use this instrument to the purposes aforesaid, and such other like: The method for taking, and setting down of the notes, and quotations, of all things therein to be observed: The perfect and pleasant way of protracting the same, with the form of your instrument, so ready and apt to that purpose, as you may well lay out and work in one day so much as you shall be able to take abroad in five: and herein is to bee considered, that you may keep your said quotations sorted and filled up in order, as you may set them out by any scale at all times, when you please: the calendring& reariuing of evidence, the trying and beating out of doubts& concealments, on your plate, much readier than in the fields the quickening& reviving of lands, rents, services, heriots, &c. the drawing& preparing of tenants to a willingness for information, where evidence are scant▪ the reading and understanding of ancient records, of al sorts, with renewing the old letter, worn, blemished,& obliterate: the clean, ready, and exact taking away of your paper boooke thus finished, into velom maps, although it were of a duzen or sixteen skins put together, which I haue in my time performed( for so would the owner haue it) and yet but by a small& competent scale: the engrossing and perfecting up of the same, with all your entries accordingly: the pullishing, washing, and trimming up your book, with all things to a full survey appertaining,( for all this ought to bee done and finished by yourselves, and no stranger ought to be made privy to such evidence: the charge of a court of survey, Court Baron and Leet: the best and readiest manner of contracting all differing scales into greater or lesser forms: the manner of taking Longitudes, Latitudes, Altitudes, and Profundities readily, without any known instrument or Engine of price: the use of the Globe and Cosmographers glass: the framing of Dials, Horizontals, Murals, Nocturnalls, &c: the preparing of the Astronomers staff, the sea or Iacobs staff, with their mother and ground from whence they are truly pricked, the frames for building, and moduling the same, with sundry necessary points in perspective, for setting out of your plaits besides Arethmeticke, and geometry for the performance of the premises: I will in a very short time( by Gods help) show, and deliver unto you. Neither may I here omit to say some what touching the use, benefit, and commodity of a survey so perfected,& done. First it setteth down the situation and place of the whole Manner or Lordship itself, with the scite of the court or maner house, or hall place, messages, Tenements, Curtilages, mills, dovehouses, barns, Stables, cottages, Tostes, Rouels &c. built or decayed, in their full number, measure and form: Chasses, parks, Warranes, woods, fields, Closes, Pastures, Pikles, and every parcel of Land, lying within the bounds, thereof, in their exact measure: fashion and quantity, with differing the meadows, Pastures arable, and wood severally by themselves, wherein the bounders and abbuttals of every praticular is so wholly put down, as no book may bee comparable with the same. There are also observed the divisions between parcel and parcel, whether by Wall, Pale, Hedge, ditch, Watercourse, Stantile, or mere. Item all Riuers, Brooks, Grindels, pits, Waterings, ways, Lanes, chaces, Drifts, Packewaies, paths, Gates, bars, and Stiles what soever. The true placing whereof, bringeth perfection to the work, and may in time to come bee many ways most necessary and profitable. here haue you also every parcel ready measured, to all purposes: you may also see vpon the same, how conveniently this or that ground may be laid to this or that tenement or messsage, aswell in regard of ways, water, flood, or otherwise: which is a thing much helping and conducing to a partition, or division of such manner, or Lordship. If you will sever any field or cloase into two or more parcels: the Scale will readily bewray how many perches,& feet shall perform the same, and where may be the readiest cut, and with what charge accomplished. If you should happen to buy any land, lying within that Circuit, and no part of the maner, the situation and content of the same is also apparent. If you will regard the groweth of the woods, and value thereof, that may you do also vpon the plate, having kept proportion in the same also by your Scale as you ought. And lastly, whereas infinite lands and tenements, and in the same, rents, services, heriots &c. are decayed and concealed in sundry Honors, castles, Lordships and Manners, aswell by turning arable into pasture, &c. as by blemishing and plucking up of bounders and and meeres: besides altering and changing the names of furlongs, ways, chaces and paths, yea and taking away the use of the same, notwithstanding their ancient and faire books, for the abbuttals thereof: the survey by plate, suffereth no such inconvenience, but shall be for continual evidence, and perpetual preservation of all lands and tenements, unto the owners thereof, that are contained and set down in the same. And therefore vpon the perfecting of any such survey, you may make a faire parchment book with a large margin, you may enter,& engross the same from the said plate,& give it date accordingly. At every alienation& change of tenants, landelolders, and farmers, their names shal be registered and quoted in the same margin, concurring with their tenors, by the steward, surueighor or clerk of the lands, for the time being: whereby all concealments and other abuses( if any shal be practised) shall not onely at al times here after plainly appear, but also be readyly and truly helped and reformed: although every deuytion and bounder we re clearly removed. A 'bout twenty yeares since, in the controversy for a sheeps course or walk, my hap was to be employed for laying out of the mariners compass, which directed the circuit& bounds of the same course, by measures of perches,& the points of that instrument: I tracted the same by my Theodolite, in such sort, as I fitted the book, found truly the bounds,& lighted vpon the dooles, that were sunk two or three foot into the ground, whereby I considered of what force a bounder by plate might be in time to come, which carrieth the hedges at a hair breadth by a circular division of infinite parts. This Instrument then being most necessary unto all noble, rare,& excellent practise with geometry, arithmetic, and cosmography, her especial attendants, are of al persons generally highly to be regarded, as the principles and grounds of all skill whatsoever, concluding in a word, that to attempt the performance of an high and lofty exploit without these things, is but to labour and toil for the purity of a speech, without rules and direction set down for the same. hereof Plato, Aristotle, Galen, Hipocrates, and other the princes of their professions, did separate an expload from the schools of their practise such as were ignorant in geometry& arithmetic, as uncapable and vnmeet of and for the apprehension of knowledge. And if ye consider the natures, places, and motions of the celestial parts, together with the cieation, form& order of the inferior bodies, you shall well perceive that neither weight, number, measure and proportion is omitted in the one, or any maner of way wanting in the other. And from the first part of Architecture, even to the daubing up of the walls( for they say there is cunning in daubing) all these partes are necessary to be had& observed. For, omitting the foundations, studs, sels, dormors, sparres, and cover, if the dauber fitteth not his escotchbars to the studs, his splint to the scotchbas, his cllay to the splints, and pergit to the day accordingly the walls shall cause you either to sit a could in winter with their tightnes, or shrink& utterly fall down in summer with their heaviness. And because the use is so general,( not that I would haue you to be daubers) and the proctise so pleasant( for no exercise can be more delicious to an heroical mind) I doubt not but you will the rather haue regard to my words& willingness to skill. Touching these sundry devices of small instruments, almost infinite, which they pull out of their purses, pockets, sleeves, &c. I see no great use of the same, more than for a few demonstrations: and in the infancy of my practise, I also trifled with the like. I hope they mean not to contend in contraction or abreuiation, for then I am with them to bring, as old as I am, yet is the eye the first member that decayeth, as the finest die is the first cloth that staineth: but in earnest the assiduate practise of the Mathematiks will require two of the best that you haue. I thought upon the show of the same they haue surfeited with abundance of knowledge, as banqueters trifle with their trencheis when their bellies are full: or such as swim in diversity of opinions, being glutted with gladness: but I found it far otherwise, and vpon regard of their yeeres, practise, and other abiliments for learning, I suspected it but a device to hold on their clients. But to the purpose. As these studies are the grounds& mother of al perfection in operation, so would I haue such Engines in use( for the larger are the surer) as might perform their actions fully and whole. And in plaiting of a county or Shire, except( over and above the sight of the parish church,& tract of the riuers( which are hardly observed) they do lay out the true bounder, purrell, and procession of the same: the ways running through, and form of the buildings there, with observation of chaces, parks, woods, and such like to be regarded for the situation of the place( which may bee done near as readily as the first, and in volume small enough) I find no such use of the thing as may countervail the charge. And the like regard I make in setting out a city, Borough, and town, except you so lay out the streets, ways, and allies, as may serve for a just measure for paving thereof, distance between place and place, and such other things of use: the buildings of all sorts in their number, measure, form& proportion, as each mans interest, claim, and demand may truly appear, with a perfect regard of waters, bridges, fields, cloases, orchards, gardens, walks, &c. lying and being within the bounds and limits of the same. And whereas I lately complained of the great and intolerable abuses daily committed in plaiting& measuring of lands, as well for demise& sale, as for setting down of evidence, which( in my opinion) would by authority be prevented and met with, as are other inconveniences in things far base than land) I was answered by a master in that profession, that the fault only restend in such schollers as would not abide and tarry out sufficient instructions: and that no doubt( besides the insufficiency of their instruments( as is aforesaid) may bee some part of the cause. For, the mathematics( without great heed and discretion) breedeth overmuch severity in old folks,& exceeding self liking in such as are young. And I wot not from whence it hath happened, that any should undertake to teach The Art of arithmetic( which I take to be the sum of all knowledge Arithmetical) and if they could perform so much in weight, measure, and proportion, they might certainly undertake the accomplishment of more than I dare now for to speak of. It is said that so much as wee may attain unto of the same, was delivered from God unto Adam, and from him unto his posterity, and the thing itself, with the partes aforesaid, are so full of perfection& continuance as they may not be thought to be the invention of mortality and corruption. And in shutting up this point, to haue said, That an acre of land may not be laid square, in a limited line of numeral denominators, was under the ordinary and common practise of arithmetic, yet did the party confess that it might by instrument bee lineallye performed: as if there were any line to bee made that were not defensible. Item, to haue confidently affirmed, that placed in the elevation of 60. and moving from thence unto the East, wee must of necessity come unto the equinoctial, accordeth not with the knowledge of the sphere& use of the gloabe, for we shall then come into the East when wee are once in the tropic of Cancer, which children know to bee more than xxiij. degrees from the equinoctial Northward. And to be of opinion that in plaiting of vneuen& vnleuell grounds, the difference of the superficial or essential line from the horizontal or base, is to bee considered and helped onely by discretion, is no more but nicely to offend, and willingly to err in an aimed proportion. For teaching the use and demonstration of all manner of geometrical instruments, and the use of all instruments fitting for navigation, &c. I say, Quod nemo didicit, nemo docere potest: more peremptory than Caesar, Veni, vidi, vici. But who so undertaketh to leap or he look, may happen to hurt himself by lighting vpon things that he neither seeth, knoweth, nor understandeth. And I could happily show somewhat my self in those matters, that a scholar of good yeres would in smiling sort confess, and say, Beati qui intelligunt. well, God so love me, as I love and love again all louers of knowledge, especially in these matters. And for any thing herein by me promised, I hope( with Gods assistance) fully to perform, and hereafter for help of your memories, and benefit of other( if al things may fit) I will( notwithstanding the charges of grounding and framing the conclusions, besides cutting them to the press) give forth to the world so much as in my time by reading and practise haue fallen unto my lot, and may come to remembrance. mean while I remain at your pleasures, for the purpose aforesaid, not doubting but to satisfy your desire far beyond your expectation, and home to your liking. At mine entry hereinto, I doubted of the shortness of my store, for so straighted an argument, but or I wist, I had exceeded the form of a Bill, and was almost come to the fashion of a book. I perceived then I was drawing of Circles. But least I should find no end in my circled, as the blind jade in the horsemill knoweth no measure of his turning, I will here cease circling for this time, wishing unto you generally all maner of good, and in your desire of skill the perfection of knowledge in the dighest degree.  
From my lodging at the Flower de luke, over against the sun without Fleetbridge. Radolph Agas.  Ferenda est fortuna quae culpa vacat.