Theater of Machines, Volume 4

Tractoria towing art, which are particularly necessary for the Architectonica art of building, as, for example, that one can come up to the heights and let oneself down again without any danger. In the way that such is very common among sailors: as also in the ore-mines, through this art many a person can hoist themselves down and up again. But how is it possible, with few words, to recount all the different species of this exceedingly glorious machine-art Multifarious utility of mechanics. or mechanics (as they are justly called per excellentiam by excellence, though the crafts are called so minus propriè less strictly)? Or to express what usefulness it communicates to other arts with its wonderful inventions, equipment, and machines: such as to astronomy for the proper exploration of the heavenly course; to gnomonics; to architecture or the art of building; to agriculture; to the art of travel by water with ships, by land with wagons and sleds; to mill- and mining-works; to printing; to drawing, painting, sculpting, turning-works, the art of war, and surgery; and in sum, to all other arts? What indescribable subtleties have also flowed and been invented from the foundation of this highly laudable art? I pass over how this invaluable machine-art otherwise brings about great miracula miracles and wonders in the world, in that it makes that which seems by nature excessively difficult, even quite impossible, very easy, so that often a child can accomplish that through mechanical advantage which otherwise would be unattainable for many strong men: so that it seems as if nature must yield to art. Yes, it is a true revealer of divine wisdom. It makes us weak humans into nothing but giants, heroes, and titans, in that it makes our strength and power in lifting, carrying, rolling, pulling, dragging, leading, throwing, and shooting not only double, even tenfold, through its artificial inventions, equipment, and machines, but through trochleas pulleys