ause of the prerogatiue of _Light_, beyng the first of _Gods
Creatures_: and the eye, the light of our body, and his Sense most
mighty, and his organ most Artificiall and _Geometricall_: At
_Perspectiue_, we will begyn therfore. +Perspectiue, is an Art
Mathematicall, which demonstrateth the maner, and properties, of all
Radiations Direct, Broken, and Reflected.+ This Description, or
Notation, is brief: but it reacheth so farre, as the world is wyde. It
concerneth all Creatures, all Actions, and passions, by Emanation of
beames perfourmed. Beames, or naturall lines, (here) I meane, not of
light onely, or of colour (though they, to eye, giue shew, witnes, and
profe, wherby to ground the Arte vpon) but also of other _Formes_, both
_Substantiall_, and _Accidentall_, the certaine and determined actiue
Radiall emanations. By this Art (omitting to speake of the highest
pointes) we may vse our eyes, and the light, with greater pleasure: and
perfecter Iudgement: both of things, in light seen, & of other: which by
like order of Lightes Radiations, worke and produce their effectes. We
may be ashamed to be ignorant of the cause, why so sundry wayes our eye
is deceiued, and abused: as, while the eye weeneth a round Globe or
Sphere (beyng farre of) to be a flat and plaine Circle, and so likewise
iudgeth a plaine Square, to be round: supposeth walles parallels, to
approche, a farre of: rofe and floure parallels, the one to bend
downward, the other to rise vpward, at a little distance from you.
Againe, of thinges being in like swiftnes of mouing, to thinke the
nerer, to moue faster: and the farder, much slower. Nay, of two thinges,
wherof the one (incomparably) doth moue swifter then the other, to deme
the slower to moue very swift, & the other to stand: what an error is
this, of our eye? Of the Raynbow, both of his Colours, of the order of
the colours, of the bignes of it, the place and heith of it, (&c) to
know the causes demonstratiue, is it not pleasant, is it not necessary?
of two or three Sonnes appearing: of Blasing Sterres: and such like
thinges: by naturall causes, brought to passe, (and yet neuertheles, of
farder matter, Significatiue) is it not commodious for man to know the
very true cause, & occasion Naturall? Yea, rather, is it not, greatly,
against the Souerainty of Mans nature, to be so ouershot and abused,
with thinges (at hand) before his eyes? as with a Pecockes tayle, and a
Doues necke: or a whole ore, in water, holde