Jump to content

Page:Petty 1851 The Down Survey.djvu/37

From Wikisource
This page has been validated.

( 3 )

ing unprofitable to be admeasured (which the law, for unknowne reasons, required not), begat infinite jealousies and discontents in the army, soe that the only true art and excellency which this gentleman expressed in this whole business, was soe to frame committees of conceited, sciolous persons, intermixing some of credit and bulke amongst them, as whereby he might screene himselfe in case of miscarriage, and when things were ill-grounded at home, to put the finishing and upshot of them into the hands of others a great wayes off; ffor a short proof of all which, it is knowne, that all the geometrical surveys that ever passed through his hand have since been done over againe, by the conduct of others; and the charge of what he did, being many thousand pounds, became as meerly throwne away. The above-mentioned particulars are not alleadged here to disparage Mr. Worsly, of whom alone the Dr may hereafter write a discourse on purpose, and in another stile more suitable to such a matter; but really and bona fide what ever hath been hitherto said is but to shew How Dr Petty introduced himself into the surveying. the reason and introduction of Dr Petties undertaking the like geometricall surveys; for the said Dr having often admonished himself the said Mr Worsly of the above miscarriages in a very friendly manner, and recommended unto him exact artists, he soe far scorned the one as meer whimsies, and preferred meer bulks and outsides, such as would most flatter and admire him, on the other side; that the said Dr did thereby, and, by the said Mr Worsely's contemptious smiles verily believes, that those seeming miscarriages were not reall, but designes and elaborate contrivances for secret reasons of state, rather then the pitifull effects of pride and ignorance.


CHAPTER II.

Dr Petty shews the mistake in the present survey.NOW, in process of time, Dr Petty, finding that way of survey, which the State was uppon, to be a mistake, he soe undeceived severall sober and judiciouse persons in the business, that they, communicating their satisfaction concerning what Dr Petty offered as a remedy, did procure, from those then in authority, the following order, viz.: