he &longs;hall plainly &longs;ee, who &longs;hall have under&longs;tood my Book of the <lb/>
Mea&longs;ure of Running Waters And this was the Rea&longs;on why all <lb/>
the Countrey did grow dry upon the opening of the Mouth into <lb/>
the Sea. </s> <s>And here I propo&longs;e to con&longs;ideration that which the Pea<lb/>
&longs;ants about <emph type="italics"/>Pi&longs;a<emph.end type="italics"/> relate, namely, That the Water in the Fields <lb/>
doth no con&longs;iderable harm by continuing there five or &longs;ix, yea, or <lb/>
eight dayes. </s> <s>And therefore the work of the Countrey is to o<lb/>
pen the Mouth of <emph type="italics"/>Fiume morto,<emph.end type="italics"/> in &longs;uch manner, that the Water <lb/>
being come, they may have the Trench free and ready, when that <lb/>
the Water cometh it may have a free drain, and may not &longs;tay <lb/>
there above eight or nine dayes, for then the overflowings be<lb/>
come hurtful. </s> <s>It is to be de&longs;ired al&longs;o, that if any Propo&longs;ition is <lb/>
produced touching the&longs;e affairs, it might be propounded the mo&longs;t <lb/>
di&longs;tinctly that may be po&longs;&longs;ible, and not con&longs;i&longs;t in generals, e&longs;pe<lb/>
cially when the Di&longs;pute is of the ri&longs;ings, of velocity, of tardity, <lb/>
of much and little water; things that are all to be &longs;pecified by <lb/>
mea&longs;ures.</s>

 <s>6. Your Letter &longs;aith, in the next place, that <emph type="italics"/>Signore Barto<lb/>
lotti<emph.end type="italics"/> confe&longs;&longs;eth, that if the Mouth of the <emph type="italics"/>Fiume morto<emph.end type="italics"/> might al<lb/>
wayes be kept open, it would be better to let it continue as it is: <lb/>
the which, that I may not yield to him in courte&longs;ie, I confe&longs;&longs;e, <lb/>
for the keeping it &longs;topt on all &longs;ides would be a thing mo&longs;t per<lb/>
nicious. </s> <s>But admitting of his confe&longs;&longs;ion I again reply, that <emph type="italics"/>Fi<lb/>
ume morto<emph.end type="italics"/> ought not to be let into <emph type="italics"/>Serchio,<emph.end type="italics"/> but immediately in<lb/>
to the Sea; becau&longs;e although &longs;ometimes the Mouth to Sea<lb/>
wards be &longs;topt up, yet for all that, the rai&longs;ing of the Bank above <lb/>
the Plains (which is all the bu&longs;ine&longs;&longs;e of importance) &longs;hall be ever <lb/>
le&longs;&longs;er, if we make u&longs;e of the Mouth leading to the Sea, than u<lb/>
&longs;ing that of <emph type="italics"/>Serchio.<emph.end type="italics"/></s>

 <s>7. I will not omit to mention a kinde of &longs;cruple that I have <lb/>
concerning the po&longs;ition of <emph type="italics"/>Sign. </s> <s>Bartolotti,<emph.end type="italics"/> that is, where he &longs;aith <lb/>
that the two Mouths A and D are equal to the like Mouths into <lb/>
the Sea; Now it &longs;eems to me, that the Mouth A of <emph type="italics"/>Fiume morto<emph.end type="italics"/><lb/>
into <emph type="italics"/>Serchio<emph.end type="italics"/> is ab&longs;olutely within <emph type="italics"/>Serchio,<emph.end type="italics"/> nor can it be made low<lb/>
er, and is regulated by the height of <emph type="italics"/>Serchio<emph.end type="italics"/>: But the Mouth <lb/>
of <emph type="italics"/>Fiume morto<emph.end type="italics"/> terminates, and ought to be under&longs;tood to ter<lb/>
minate in the Sea it &longs;elf, the lowe&longs;t place. </s> <s>And this I believe <lb/>
was very well peroeived by <emph type="italics"/>Sig. </s> <s>Bartolotti,<emph.end type="italics"/> but I cannot tell why <lb/>
he pa&longs;t it over without declaring it: and we &longs;ee not that the <lb/>
Mouth D falleth far from the Sea, which Mouth ought to be let <lb/>
into the Sea it &longs;elf, and &longs;o the advantage of the <emph type="italics"/>M<emph.end type="italics"/>outh into the <lb/>
Sea more clearly appeareth.</s>

 <s>8. That which <emph type="italics"/>Sig. </s> <s>Bartolotti<emph.end type="italics"/> addeth, that when it is high <lb/>
Waters, at &longs;uch time as the Waters are out, and when Winds <lb/>
choak up <emph type="italics"/>Fiume morto,<emph.end type="italics"/> they not only retard it, but return the