covered, confounded with wonder, and surprised with desperation, I account my self little lesse than miserable. If I behold a Statue of some excellent Master, I say with my self; When wilt thou know how to chizzle away the refuse of a piece of Marble, and discover so lovely a figure, as lyeth hid therein? When wilt thou mix and spread so many different colours upon a Cloth, or Wall, and represent therewith all visible objects, like a Michael Angelo, a Raphaello, or a Tizvano? If I behold what inventions men have in comparting Musical intervals, in establishing Precepts and Rules for the management thereof with admirable delight to the ear: When shall I cease my astonishment? What shall I say of such and so various Instruments of that Art? The reading of excellent Poets, with what admiration doth it swell any one that attentively considereth the invention of conceits, and their explanation? What shall we say of Architecture? What of Navigation?The invention of writing stupendious above all others. But, above all other stupendious inventions, what sublimity of mind was that in him, that imagined to himself to find out a way to communicate his most secret thoughts to any other person, though very far distant from him either in time, or place, speaking with those that are in the India's; speaking to those that are not yet born, nor shall be this thousand, or ten thousand years? and with how much facility? but by the various collocation of* For of so many only the Italian Alphabet consists. * twenty little letters upon a paper? Let this be the Seal of all the admirable inventions of man, and the close of our Discourse for this day: For the warmer hours being past, I suppose that Salviatus hath a desire to go and take the air in his Gondelo; but too morrow we will both wait upon you, to continue the Discourses we have begun, &c.
GAL-
