<emph type="italics"/>Ptolomey<emph.end type="italics"/> and <emph type="italics"/>Copernicus<emph.end type="italics"/> were they that have had the honour to
<lb/> &longs;ee farthe&longs;t into, and di&longs;cour&longs;e mo&longs;t profoundly of the <emph type="italics"/>Worlds
<lb/> Sy&longs;teme.<emph.end type="italics"/> About the Works of which famous Men the&longs;e Dia­
<lb/> lous being chiefly conver&longs;ant, I conceived it my duty to De­
<lb/> dicate them only to <emph type="italics"/>Your Highne&longs;s.<emph.end type="italics"/> For laying all the weight
<lb/> upon the&longs;e two, whom I hold to be the Able&longs;t Wits that
<lb/> have left us their Works upon the&longs;e Subjects; to avoid a Sole­
<lb/> ci&longs;mein Manners, I was obliged to addre&longs;s them to Him, who
<lb/> with me, is the Greate&longs;t of all Men, from whom they can re­
<lb/> ceive either Glory or Patrociny. </s><s>And if the&longs;e two per&longs;ons
<lb/> have &longs;o farre illuminated my Under&longs;tanding as that this my
<lb/> Book may in a great part be confe&longs;&longs;ed to belong to them, well
<lb/> may it al&longs;o be acknowledged to belong to <emph type="italics"/>Your Highne&longs;s,<emph.end type="italics"/> unto
<lb/> who&longs;e Bounteous Magnificence I owe the time and lea&longs;ure I
<lb/> had to write it, as al&longs;o unto Your Powerful A&longs;&longs;i&longs;tance, (never
<lb/> weary of honouring me) the means that at length I have had
<lb/> to publi&longs;h it. </s><s>May <emph type="italics"/>Your Highne&longs;s<emph.end type="italics"/> therefore be plea&longs;ed to accept
<lb/> of it according to Your accu&longs;tomed Goodne&longs;s; and if any
<lb/> thing &longs;hall be found therein, that may be &longs;ub&longs;ervient towards
<lb/> the information or &longs;atisfaction of tho&longs;e that are Lovers of
<lb/> Truth; let them acknowledge it to be due to <emph type="italics"/>Your Self,<emph.end type="italics"/> who are
<lb/> &longs;o expert in doing good, that Your Happy Dominion cannot
<lb/> &longs;hew the man that is concerned in any of tho&longs;e general Cala­
<lb/> mities that di&longs;turb the World; &longs;o that Praying for Your Pro&longs;pe­
<lb/> rity, and continuance in this Your Pious and Laudable Cu­
<lb/> &longs;tome, I humbly ki&longs;s Your Hands;</s></p>
