The Way To Geometry. Petrus Ramus

      Hæc tortuosa linea, This crankled line is of Proclus called Helicoides. But it may also be called Helix, a twist or wreath: The Greekes by this word do commonly either understand one of the kindes of Ivie which windeth it selfe about trees & other plants; or the strings of the vine, whereby it catcheth hold and twisteth it selfe about such things as are set for it to clime or run upon. Therfore it should properly signifie the spirall line. But as it is here taken it hath divers kindes; As is the Arithmetica which is Archimede'es Helix, as the Conchois, Cockleshell-like: as is the Cittois, Iuylike: The Tetragonisousa, the Circle squaring line, to witt that by whose meanes a circle may be brought into a square: The Admirable line, found out by Menelaus: The Conicall Ellipsis, the Hyperbole, the Parabole, such as these are, they attribute to Menechmus: All these Apollonius hath comprised in eight Bookes; but being mingled lines, and so not easie to bee all reckoned up and expressed, Euclide hath wholly omitted them, saith Proclus, at the 9. p. j.

       13. Lines are right one unto another, whereof the one falling upon the other, lyeth equally: Contrariwise they are oblique. è 10. d j.

      Hitherto straightnesse and crookednesse have beene the affections of one sole line onely: The affections of two lines compared one with another are Perpendiculum, Perpendicularity and Parallelismus, Parallell equality; Which affections are common both to right and crooked lines. Perpendicularity is first generally defined thus:

      Lines are right betweene themselves, that is, perpendicular one unto another, when the one of them lighting upon the other, standeth upright and inclineth or leaneth neither way. So two right lines in a plaine may bee perpendicular; as are ae. and io. so two peripheries upon a sphearicall may be perpendiculars, when the one of them falling upon the other, standeth indifferently betweene, and doth not incline or leane either way. So a right line may be perpendicular unto a periphery, if falling upon it, it doe reele neither way, but doe ly indifferently betweene either side. And in deede in all respects lines right betweene themselves, and perpendicular lines are one and the same. And from the perpendicularity of lines, the perpendicularity of surfaces is taken, as hereafter shall appeare. Of the perpendicularity of bodies, Euclide speaketh not one word in his Elements, & yet a body is judged to be right, that is, plumme or perpendicular unto another body, by a perpendicular line.

      Therefore,

       14. If a right line be perpendicular unto a right line, it is from the same bound, and on the same side, one onely. ê 13. p. xj.

      Or, there can no more fall from the same point, and on the same side but that one. This consectary followeth immediately upon the former: For if there should any more fall unto the same point and on the same side, one must needes reele, and would not ly indifferently betweene the parts cut: as here thou seest in the right line ae. io. eu.

       15. Parallell lines they are, which are everywhere equally distant. è 35. d j.

      Parallelismus, Parallell-equality doth now follow: And this also is common to crooked lines and right lines: As heere thou seest in these examples following.

      Parallell-equality is derived from perpendicularity, and is of neere affinity to it. Therefore Posidonius did define it by a common perpendicle or plum-line: yea and in deed our definition intimateth asmuch. Parallell-equality of bodies is no where mentioned in Euclides Elements: and yet they may also bee parallells, and are often used in the Optickes, Mechanickes, Painting and Architecture.

      Therefore,

       16. Lines which are parallell to one and the same line, are also parallell one to another.

      This element is specially propounded and spoken of right lines onely, and is demonstrated at the 30. p. j. But by an addition of equall distances, an equall distance is knowne, as here.

The third Booke of Geometry. Of an Angle.

       Table of Contents

       1. A lineate is a Magnitude more then long.

      A New forme of doctrine hath forced our Authour to use oft times new words, especially in dividing, that the logicall lawes and rules of more perfect division by a dichotomy, that is into two kindes, might bee held and observed. Therefore a Magnitude was divided into two kindes, to witt into a Line and a Lineate: And a Lineate is made the genus of a surface and a Body. Hitherto a Line, which of all bignesses is the first and most simple, hath been described: Now followeth a Lineate, the other kinde of magnitude opposed as you see to a line, followeth next in order. Lineatum therefore a Lineate, or Lineamentum, a Lineament, (as by the authority of our Authour himselfe, the learned Bernhard Salignacus, who was his Scholler, hath corrected it) is that Magnitude in which there are lines: Or which is made of lines, or as our Authour here, which is more then long: Therefore lines may be drawne in a surface, which is the proper soile or plots of lines; They may also be drawne in a body, as the Diameter in a Prisma: the axis in a spheare; and generally all lines falling from aloft: And therfore Proclus maketh some plaine, other solid lines. So Conicall lines, as the Ellipsis, Hyperbole, and Parabole, are called solid lines because they do arise from the cutting of a body.

       2. To a Lineate belongeth an Angle and a Figure.

      The common affections of a Magnitude were to be bounded, cutt, jointly measured, and adscribed: Then of a line to be right, crooked, touch'd, turn'd about, and wreathed: All which are in a lineate by meanes of a line. Now the common affections of a Lineate are to bee Angled and Figured. And surely an Angle and a figure in all Geometricall businesses doe fill almost both sides of the leafe. And therefore both of them are diligently to be considered.

       3. An Angle is a lineate in the common section of the bounds.

      So Angulus Superficiarius, a superficiall Angle, is a surface consisting in the common section of two lines: So angulus solidus, a solid angle, in the common section of three surfaces at the least.

      [But the learned B. Salignacus hath observed, that all angles doe not consist in the common section of the bounds, Because the touching of circles, either one another, or a rectilineal surface doth make an angle without any cutting of the bounds: And therefore he defineth it thus: Angulus est terminorum inter se invicem inclinantium concursus: An angle is the meeting of bounds, one leaning towards another.] So is aei. a superficiall angle: [And such also are the angles ouy. and bcd.] so is the angle o. a solid angle, to witt comprehended of the three surfaces aoi. ioe. and aoe. Neither may a surface, of 2. dimensions, be bounded with one right line: Nor a body, of three dimensions, bee bounded with two, at lest beeing plaine surfaces.

       4. The shankes of an angle are the bounds compreding the angle.

      Scèle or Crura, the Shankes, Legges, H. are the bounds insisting or standing upon the base of the angle, which in the Isosceles only or Equicrurall triangle are so named of Euclide, otherwise he nameth them Latera, sides. So in the examples aforesaid, ea. and ei. are the shankes of the