the other, he will see everything much
larger and nearer.' It is doubtful if Fracastro had any notion of
constructing a mechanism which might answer the purpose of a telescopic
tube. Baptista Porta (1611) is more explicit in what he describes. He
writes: 'Concave lenses show distant objects most clearly, convex those
which are nearer; whence they may be used to assist the sight. With a
concave glass distant objects will be seen, small, but distinct; with a
convex one, those near at hand, larger, but confused; if you know
_rightly_ how to combine one of each sort, you will see both far and
near objects larger and clearer.' He then goes on to say: 'I shall now
endeavour to show in what manner we may continue to recognise our
friends at the distance of several miles, and how those of weak sight
may read the most minute letters from a distance. It is an invention of
great utility, and grounded on optical principles; nor is at all
difficult of execution; but it must be so divulged as not to be
understood by the vulgar, and yet be clear to the sharp-sighted.' After
this, he proceeds to describe a mechanism the details of which are
confusing and unintelligible, nor did it appear to bear any resemblance
to a telescopic tube.

In a work published by Thomas Digges in 1591, he makes the following
allusion to his father's experiments with the lenses: 'My father, by his
continuall painfull practices, assisted with demonstrations
mathematicall, was able, and sundry times hath by proportionall glasses,
duely situate in convenient angles, not only discouered things farre
off, read letters, numbered peeces of money with the verye coyne and
superscription thereof cast by some of his freends of purpose, upon
downes in open fields; but also seuen miles off, declared what hath beene
doone at that instant in priuate places.' It must be admitted that if
Leonard Digges had not constructed a telescope, he knew how to combine
lenses by the aid of which a visual effect was created similar to that
produced by the use of the instrument.

The inventor of the telescope was a Dutchman named Hans Lippershey, who
carried on the business of a spectacle-maker in the town of Middelburg.
His discovery was purely accidental. It is said that the
instrument--which was directed towards a weather-cock on a church spire,
of which it gave a large and inverted image--was for some time exhibited
in his shop as a curiosity before its importance was recognised. The