Clavis geometrica catholica. The geometrical key: or the gate of equations unlock'd: a new discovery of the construction of all equations ... not exceeding the fourth degree; viz. of, linears, quadratics, cubics, biquadratics; and the finding of all their roots ... without the use of mesolable, trisection of angles; without reduction, depression, or any other previous preparation of equations, by a circle, and any ... parabole. And this, by one only general rule ... Fortified with demonstrations / [Thomas Baker].

Thomas Baker

Date:: 1684

Credit: Clavis geometrica catholica. The geometrical key: or the gate of equations unlock'd: a new discovery of the construction of all equations ... not exceeding the fourth degree; viz. of, linears, quadratics, cubics, biquadratics; and the finding of all their roots ... without the use of mesolable, trisection of angles; without reduction, depression, or any other previous preparation of equations, by a circle, and any ... parabole. And this, by one only general rule ... Fortified with demonstrations / [Thomas Baker]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$P R E FACE._ Written on that Subject; Fortune (not Art) was plea¬ fed favourably to afpeci my weak Endeavours; and when not defegning it, I happened to hit on fetch an improvement \of his Rule, as (to my great admiration) would render it umverfal: which (no doubt) that quick Lyncean-eyed man might have feeen , and would have made a pra-difecovery of] had it been his hap (as it was mine ) to have described a Circle, from any Point in Pofttion given, puffing through the V\ertex of any Di¬ ameter in a Parabole, as he did from the Vizrtex of it s Axe ; and with all had taken into confederation a certain propriety (than which none could have feo well \Jutted his defegn ) belonging to the Diameter of any j Parabole. But Bernardus non videt omnia. - t And as this ( no doubt) was famous Des Cartes’/ Vieta (the fife Inventor of Specious Analyfis) fee ms, not perfunctorily to have examined this matter; and after his mofi exquifite fearch, tacitly infenuates his own ignorance, asm&ybefeen in his two Tracts, the one de Pfeudo-mefalabo; the other, de fu-pplemento Geometric. ¥ / \ Our Famous Mr. Oughtred* havingprelibatedJbmeUcl.Matb. i few Cubic Equations, hopes by their help, the Mefolabe Chap. 13. hitherto involved in darknefs, may at length he brought to light. b Des ■ «r. MiHJ$

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