SIr , whereas ye requyre my opynion touching the French Pamflet of a blasing starre lately Englished : Surely I cannot but condempne the rashnes of him that did translate the same , for that at one time he offered two iniuryes . First to the Frenche man that made the same , for whom it had beene sufficiente that Fraunce had knowen hys dotinges , & not England also to haue bene made partaker of his follyes . Secondly the ill opynion hee seemed to haue of his owne countryemen , that amonge the abundant choise of so many excellent Mathematicians , woulde rather publishe such a toye , then vse th aduise of suche as mighte haue taughte a veritye . For the Booke although it haue fewe lines , yet hath it manye errors & that of all sortes . Geometricall , Astronomicall , Physical , Cosmographicall and Historicall First in the portrayture of Cassiopeia the very starres are mistaken , and the new starre misplaced . For the three other starres that frame a figure wyth hym of Geomitricianes commonly called Rhombus , are these , one of the thirde lighte in her breste , an other of the same lighte in her chayre nighe vnto the thighe of Cassiopeia , the thirde in the middle ascense or backe of her Chaire , this beinge of the thirde light also , is by him quite misplaced , and in steede thereof another little starre of the fifte lighte placed , and the newe starre that is beneath the foote of her seate , is there situate farre higher . Hee wanteth also one starre in the toppe of her chayre , and an other in her foote , and notwythstandynge he hath clapte in one where neuer anye was , yet wanteth hee one of his nomber , which although hee had neuer redde Aratus Ptolomey , Copernicus or other Mathematicianes , yet of Poetes as Palingenius , he might haue learned howe Cassiopeia decem atque tribus stat lucida flammis . Hee proceedeth to his obseruations , and declareth this newe starres distances from Alrucuba commonlye called the Pole starre , and another of Queene Cassiopeia inferring that such as be skilfull in the doctrine of triangles Sphericall , will soone finde his place to be in the ende of ♓ about the 29. grade , wherby it appeareth that his own knowledge in Sphericall triangles was verye small , for admittinge his owne distances true , it falleth out in the first face of ♉ , but his true longitude and place in deede , is esilye by sighte without Instrumente within one degree to be coniectured , of the meanest scholler in obseruations Astronomical , beinge more then that In sedis pede , a little starre harde by hym whose longitude by Copernicus is deliuered 8. grades . 20. minutes , and lesse then that other by hym mencioned in Cassiopeia her thighe whose longitude is also . 10. grades . This starre therefore being verye nighe in the meane betweene these two , is soone founde within 10. minutes of nyne grades in longitude , makinge accompte as Copernicus doth from the little starre in the horne of the Ramme , which in the olde Astronomers tyme stoode in the very intersection of the line Ecliptike and Equinoctial , but sithens by the stealinge course of the starres fixed , or rather of the earthe as Copernicus with better reasons proueth , is remoued since that time 27. grades 49 minuts , which I haue by certaine Calculation found to be Precessio Aequinoctiorum vera , for the Natiuitye of oure Sauiour last past , nyne grades therfore the longitude of this newe starre in the eyghte sphere by sighte onely collected , as I haue before declared , vnto that nomber of the true Praecession adioyned , produceth 6. grades 49. minutes in ♉ for his longitude or place , and therefore I muse the more that anye man shoulde so muche erre that woulde presume in a cause Mathematicall to write , but perhappes his meaninge was that this starres righte Ascention shoulde be about that grade , wherein thoughe it be very vnproper to apply the Computation of right Ascension to the line Ecliptike , yet had his error bene that way the lesse , but not contented wyth these inferioure causes beinge in deede but Elementa artis , hee ascendeth to discouer a Parallaxe , & produceth obseruations flatte repugnaunt betweene theymselues . I meane not so much for that hee giueth his new starre seuerall distances from Alrucuba at his greatest heighte , ( which in deede is nothinge so ) but hee attributeth also vnto hym hys greatest Parallaxe aboue the Pole , and his lesser vnderneath , whiche is a matter so absurde , as oure Mathematicall infantes will laughe to scorne . And these hee sayth are the principall matters hee noted in hym since hys first appearaunce the 15 of Nouember , wherin his credite may somthing be doubted also , considering others of as good iudgement as he seemeth to bee , obseruinge the same figure of Cassiopeia coulde see no such starre the 16. night of the same moneth : His Mathematicall causes thus handled he entereth to iudge of the effects ensuing , and for discouery thereof translateth the opinions of other writers concerning Comets , which by Aristotle in his booke of Meteores are affyrmed to be in the Region of the ayre , and wythin the concauitye of the Moones Orbe ingendred , affyrming them to be nourished wyth vapours and resolutions from the ball of earth and Occeane , and therefore rather to signifye then to cause scarcity and sterilitye ensuinge , but by this Auctors owne Parallaxis allowing him his own witnesses , they giue it to be aboue the Moone , as any man may know that hath any meane sight , I say not in Sphaerickes triangles , but plaine and righte lined , & therefore vnlesse he will make war with naturall Philosophers and explode Aristotle , he cannot terme hym a Comet . Also Comets are into thre kindes deuided , Crinitas , Barbatas & Caudatas : And this surelye by any sound sight to be wel founde none of them : for thoughe hee do suppose it hath a tayle recching into the Orient , wherevppon hee foundeth hys phantasticall diuinations . Trulye the starre is troubled wyth no such thinge , howsoeuer his head was at the viewing thereof . Againe whereas hee coniectureth by his imagined tayle , that his effect should fall out in the Orient & East partes of the world , he seemeth also therein to be as slender a Cosmographer , that knoweth not no part of the worlde to be East or West simplye or of it selfe : But the thing he harpeth on and hath belike harde some talke of , as of the Parallaxe also , is this : Astronomers first by the signe wherein the Comet is , his Parallele , his situation in respect of the intersection of the Horizon and Meridian , his latitude , and by many other meanes also pronounce first of the prouinces wheron theyr effect shal light ▪ and then by the direction of the tayle iudge of the parts of those prouinces and the countryes adioyninge , and so in respecte of some one place determined , others may be called East or West , Occident or Orient , at pleasure . Againe where he pronounceth horrible effects alway to ensue Comets , Historyes would haue taught hym that sometime they promise vnto some great felicitye , as Iustine when he speaketh of the Comet at Methridates byrth sayth : Huius quoque viri magnitudinem Coelestia portenta nuntiabant , and at the inuasion of Tamberlane , that famous Captayne that toke the Turke and vanquished his Empyre ( ascending by militare vertue from base estate ) had also a Comet which is noted to signifye his felicitye . But had al his Phisicall Collections beene true , yet vnfitly are the significations of Comets applyed to starres , or Phaenomena that are aboute the Region Elementare . To conclude because you requyre my opinion of the booke & the Authors knowledge &c. For the matter as ye may perceiue , it is farced so ful of errors apparant , that euery one that sauoureth any thing in the sciences Mathematical , shal sone finde them . Of the man I cannot iudge but ab affectu , and so take hys audacity much more then either his learning , or his descretion , that would presume to put himselfe in prease to tell a tale in presence of such a nomber of Geometers , Philosophers , Astronomers Cosmographers , and that of a matter in part concerninge all theyr sciences , and proceede so weekelye furnished . It had beene better for him to haue first redde Erasmus Apothegmata , wher he shold haue founde howe Apelles to a Shomaker that presumed to talke in his science lest this Prouerbe Ne sutor vltra crepidam , which well noted might haue caused this Auctour to content hymselfe to loke on , and geue others leaue to playe that part on the Mathematicall stage .

His conclusion is not to be disliked for that it contayneth both piety & veritie , & no doubt it is as he sayth a forewarning of Gods inscrutable pleasure , which wil fall out to be no lesse straung and myraculous in effect , then this signe wherby it is forewarned is rare and supernaturall , I commende therefore herein his modestye , that he would not geue iudgemente whether the same shoulde happen in Fraunce or els where . For surelye it were hard for a man of greater science then hee seemeth to bee , so to doe : But wheresoeuer any haynous outrage hath bene committed , eyther by great or small , heade or foote , they haue as hee trulye collecteth , greate cause to stande in horrour of this myraculous signe , as a forerunner of Gods iust Iudgemente . And thus exhortinge you to proceede in the passinge pleasaunte studyes of the noble sciences Mathematicall fit onely for fre and noble mindes that stoupe not at filthy lucre I commit you to the protectino , of the Almightye .