The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Cosimo III, de Medici, (14 Aug 1642 - 31 Oct 1723)
Visited the Royal Society on 25 April 1669. His companion, Count Lorenzo Magalatti, recorded their visit and what they say, including the repository:"The cabinet, which is under the care of Dr. Hooke, a man of genius, and of much esteem in experimental matters, was founded by Daniel Colwal, now Treasurer of the Academy, and is full of the greatest rarities, brought from the most distant parts; such as quadrupeds, birds, fishes, serpents, insects, shells, feathers, seeds, minerals, and many petrifactions, mummies, and gums; and every day, in order to enrich it still more, the Academicians contribute every thing of value which comes into their hands; so that in time it will be the most beautiful, the largest, and the most curious, in respect to natural productions, that is any where to be found. Amongst these curiosities, the most remarkable are: an ostrich, whose young were always born alive; an herb which grew in the stomach of a thrush; and the skin of a moor, tanned, with the beard and hair white: but more worthy of observation than all the rest, is a clock, whose movements are derived from the vicinity of a loadstone, and it is so adjusted as to discover the distance of countries at sea by the longitude." (Weld, I.219)
Grew lists a head and leg of an Ostrich (Grew_01640 and Grew_01645) and a tanned skin of a Moor (Grew_00025).
Other biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosimo_III_de%27_Medici,_Grand_Duke_of_Tuscany Traveller
Visitor
Relevant locations: Title (royalty or holy order) Tuscany, Italy
Visited Oxford Anatomy School, Schools Quadrangle
Visited Royal Society of London, London
Visited Royal Society of London, Gresham College
Visited Royal Society of London, Crane Court
Relationships: Cosimo III, de Medici was a father of Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici (11 Aug 1667-18 Feb 1743)
Cosimo III, de Medici was a visitor to the collection of Oxford Anatomy School (-)
Cosimo III, de Medici was a visitor to the collection of Royal Society (-)
Ferdinand II (de Medici) [Grand Duke of Tuscany] (1610-1670) was a father of Cosimo III, de Medici
Lorenzo Magalotti (24 Oct 1637-2 Mar 1712) was a travelling companion of Cosimo III, de Medici
Linked print sources: as Mentions or references - A History of the Royal Society, With Memoirs of the Presidents. Compiled from Authentic Documents.
as Subject of/in a document - Travels of Cosmo the Third, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Through England, During the Reign of King Charles the Second (1669). Translated from the Italian Manuscript in the Laurentian Library at Florence.
Linked images:
References in Documents:
Architecture. A Geometrick
FLAT FLOOR.
Given by the
neated (a) by Dr. Geometry at
Who was pleas'd to give me the following
Account, as an
Abstract of that he hath formerly published hereof.
(a)
a) See his
Book
tu, Cap. 6.
Prop. 10.
Fig. 243
I did first, saith the Doctor, Contrive and Delineate It in
the
Year, 1644. at
afterwards I was made Professor of Geometry at
about the Year, 1650. I caused it
to be framed of small
pieces of Wood,
representing so many pieces of Timber;
prepar'd by Mr. Joyner in
ther by my self.
This I shewed soon after to divers in
larly to Dr.
Warden of
another to be made for himself,
according to that Pattern.
Which he kept by him for many years,
and afterwards pre
sented to the
After the Restauration, I caus'd another to be
made;
and, in the Year, 1660. presented it to
who was well pleas'd with it, and caused
it to be reposited in
his Closet.
On the Model first mention'd, I Read two Publique
Lectures at Vespers
of the Publique Act: the
one, in the Year,
1652. as to the Construction of it; the
other, in the Year, 1653.
as to the computation of what
weight every Joynt of it sustains;
whereby it might be the
better judged how far it may be safely
practised. The
greatest weight charged on any one Joynt, doth not
amount to Ten-times the weight of one Beam: And the
greatest
weight bor'n by any one Beam; not to seventeen
times its own
weight: and even this, not laid all on the
same part, but
distributed to several parts of it. The sum
of these two Lectures, is to be seen in the Sixth Chapter of
my Book
A Third Lecture, much to the same purpose, I read,
May, 1699
Duke of
Visit,
and me with his Presence at that Lecture. After
which, he was pleased very particularly to consider both
the
Delineation and Model, and declared himself very well
pleased with
it,
The contrivance is obvious to the Eye. The outsides re
present the Walls of the Building on which this Flat Floor
or
Roof is to be laid. The Beams next adjoyning to the
sides, have
one end lodged on those Walls; the other end
sustained by another
Beam, lying cross; both ends of
which, are in like manner
sustained by other cross Beams;
and those again by others; till
they reach the other Walls.
So that no one of them can fall,
unless the Walls fail, or the
Beams break: all mutually sustaining
each other without
any Pillar or Prop to support them, besides the
outer
Walls.
The Models I caused to be made, and that of the
Society
as much as the Length of
the longest Beam. But may be
continu'd, at pleasure, to farther
breadth, as shall be thought
fit. With this Caution: That the
farther the Work is
continu'd, the greater Weight will be charged
on every
Joynt; especially near the middle. And though in this
Model, no one Beam is charged with so much as seventeen
times its own weight: yet if the Work be continu'd to a
greater
breadth, the proportional Weight will be thereby
increased. And
therefore must be limited, according to
the strength of Timber,
able to bear more or fewer times
its own weight.
I do not know, that yet it hath been reduced to practise,
in more
than four Pieces, in this Form. Such is
one of the Floors in the
Tower of the Publique
Schools at
Length of the Beams, is as three to two. But
may doubtless be continu'd much further: especially in
such a Roof
or Floor, as is not to bear much more than its
own weight.
Thus, for instance, a Bowling-Green of near an
Acre of
Ground, may be cover'd with a Frame of long slender
Vines, or other like Plants to run upon, so as to shade the
whole.
Note here, That whereas the ends of the several pieces
are to lie
upon those that cross them, about the middle
thereof; it will be
necessary at every Joynt to abate both
pieces half way, or near
it; that one may be thus let into
the other, and the whole reduced
to a Flat. But whether
such piece, so abated doth end even with
that on which it
lies, or doth lie over somewhat beyond it; is
indifferent.
And though That may seem more elegant; This, perhaps,
may be fitter for use.
Each piece, I say, must be so abated half way, or near
it. For,
whereas those Beams, especially if of a considera
ble
length, will, with the weight, bow a little; if this abate
ment be somewhat less than half way, (whereby without
such
bowing, the whole would somewhat rise in the mid
dle) it
will by such bowing be reduced to a Flat.
Note also, That a Frame thus contriv'd, needs neither
Nail nor Pin; the several
pieces fastening, as well as support
ing one another.
Yet, if it be to bear a great weight more than
its own; it will be
convenient to fasten each Joynt with
Pins; and, if need be, to strengthen it with Iron-Plates, or
line it with other pieces
of Timber, to be fasten'd with Iron- Bolts; to make amends for what is weaken'd by the
abate
ments at the
Joynts:which will make the whole Frame
exceeding strong.
Ouse, Are and
from the
made navigable.
py of the
ProphetickPicture , concerning the Kings of
Original is carefully preserved in the
by one
Fall
An.
Favour of
Howard
this. It is divided into eight Scenes: In the first, the Crosses are fal
ling down from the Churches, and by the King is writ,
A Thief; in
the 2d they are re-erected by
Mary,
: In the 3d the Church is on a Flame, and byGod for
the Woman
Elizabeth
Persecution. By
James
A
Goer about, a Man killer, with Axes,
Goer about, a Man killer
&c. and some of the
Romish
Clergy laid dead. The preceding four are all crowned, but that of
the 5th for
CharlesI
mies,
&c. The 6th instead of a King hath a headless Trophy, Can
nons, Swords,
&c. The 7th hath a young Prince at Rest, with his
Sword at a Distance: In the 8th are Crosses erected, the Triple-Crown,
Cardinals Caps, Crosier-Staffs,
&c. the later four have no Words
annexed, nor do they now need any.
Will. Kent
an ingenious Artist now at
Drawing
this very Year, from all the Students in that Science, for which his
Holiness presented him with two Silver Medals of his own Bust, with
Luke
who was admitted into the
Tuscany
tists
sity was the Present of my worthy Friend
Sam. Gale
late excellent
ently expects the History of the
made considerable Progress.