Hydragogie

Hydragogie demonstrates the possible leading of water, by nature's law and by artificial help, from any head (being a spring, standing, or running water) to any other place assigned. Long has this art been in use, and much of it written, and very marvelous works performed in it, as may still appear in Italy by the ruins remaining of the aqueducts; in other places, of rivers led through the mainland, navigable many a mile; and in other places, of the marvelous forcings of water to ascend. All these declare the great skill that must be required of one who would be perfect in this art for all possible occasions of leading water. I need not speak of the allowance of the fall for every hundred feet, or of the vents (if the water's labor be far and great), seeing that at hand (about us) many expert men can sufficiently testify to the effect of the order, though they do not know the demonstration of its necessity; nor yet, if they were led up and down and about mountains from the head of the spring, and then a place being assigned, and them being asked how low or high that last place is with respect to the head from which (so crookedly and up and down) they have come, perhaps they would not or could not very readily or precisely answer that question. Geometry is therefore necessary to Hydragogie. Of the sundry ways to force water to ascend, whether by tympanum, kettle mills, screw, Ctesibike, or such like, the manner may fully appear in Vitruvius, Agricola, and others; and so by that also may be most evident how the arts of Pneumatithmie, Helicosophy, statics, Trochilike, and Menadrie come to the furnishing of this in speculation, and to the benefit of the commonwealth in practice.

Hydragogie shows that water can be led, by nature's law and with artificial help, from any source (a spring, standing water, or running water) to any other assigned place. This art has long been in use, much has been written about it, and very marvelous works have been accomplished in it, as can still be seen in Italy by the ruins of the aqueducts that remain. In other places there are rivers led through the mainland, navigable for many miles. In other places there are the marvelous forcings of water to rise. All of this shows the great skill required of anyone who would be perfect in this art, for every possible case of leading water. I need not speak of allowing fall for every hundred feet, or of vent holes (if the water's journey is long and hard), since many experienced men close at hand (around us) can testify well enough to the practice, even though they do not know the demonstration of why it is necessary. Nor, if they were led up and down and around the mountains from the source of the spring, and then, a place being given, they were asked how low or high that last place is compared with the source from which they had come by such a crooked, up-and-down route, perhaps they would not, or could not, answer that question readily or exactly. So geometry is necessary to Hydragogie. The various ways of forcing water to rise, by tympanum, kettle mills, screw, Ctesibian devices, or the like, can be seen in full in Vitruvius, Agricola, and others. And so it is also perfectly clear how the arts of Pneumatithmie, Helicosophy, statics, Trochilike, and Menadrie supply this art in theory, and serve the good of the commonwealth in practice.