20
[5] Decker, E. de, Tweede dee/ van de Nieuwe Te/konst, ofte wonder/icke
konstighe tafel in houdende de Logarithm!, voor de getallen van 1 af tot 1OOOOO
toe, P. Rammaseyn, Gouda, 1627; only one copy known since 1920 (the "Great
Table") (also available, partly in facsimile, with introduction by A.J.E.M. Smeur,
Nieuwkoop, 1964). De Decker's Preface follows here, translated from Dutch to
English:
Preface to the Art-loving Reader
Dear Reader, we now bring to light the second part of our New Arithmetic
(Nieuwe Tel-konst), explained for use in Arithmetic Questions. The reason
why here not everything is contained that we have promised before, is that
we have decided to publish the use of Logarithms in two different ways.
First for those that only need them for Arithmetic: otherwise, for use by
lovers of the Arithmetic and Mathematical Arts. We have tried to satisfy the
first, and the others we hope to satisfy soon; and because those who are
not experienced in the use of Mathematical Arts would not be able to
understand the fundaments of the logarithms, we have not described here
their origin and construction, but only their use - extensively - as many
persons only need that. This Art and new Practice of computing has been
invented and described by loannes Neperus Lord of Marchistoun in
Schotiandt, but he could not work on this table as he died shortly after [his
publication]; then Henrico Briggius Professor of Geometry in Oxfoort, in
England, has explained and computed with great effort the Logarithms
from 1 to 20000 and 90000 to 100000, leaving a gap between 20000 and
90000 which we have tried to fill, with particular great effort, and as my
daily profession did not allow me to spend full time, I welcomed the
assistence and diligence of the art-loving Adriaen V/ack, who completed
successfully most of these reguired [logarithms] with steady devotion.
This table being such, that one could call it rightly the "Golden
Table", given its great benefit and the important works one can accomplish
with it.
The importance and the use of logarithms in the full field of
mathematics, will soon be published by Adriaen V/ack in Latin, French and
Dutch; with a Canon Triangulorum containing the Sines, Tangents and
Secants with radius 1,00000,00000, including the differences. Enjoy
meanwhile this book, until the other will leave the printing press.
[6] Briggs, H., Vlacq, A., Arithmetica Logarithmica, Ed. 2, aucta per A. Vlacq, P.
Rammaseyn, Gouda, 1628 (in Latin and French). Follows the first half of the
French "Preface au Lecteur":
y a environ deux ans; quit me vint d'adventure entre les mains
KArithmetique Logarithmetique de Monsieur Henry Brigs Professeur en
Geometrie a Oxford. Dont ayant veu le Contenu, comme je me trouvay
gran dement satisfaict de /'Excellence rarité d'une si belle Invention, la
voyant extremement utile a I'Arithmetique Geometrie; ainsi d'autrepart
en ia communiquant avec que/ques uns, je recog nut bien tost que c' estoit
