Most of you are aware of the evidence for Bessler's apparent obsession with the number five and fifty five. I know the reason for it and I will share it later, but for now consider the following extract from his Apologia Poetica.
"He shall be called a great craftsman
who can easily/lightly throw up a heavy thing,
and when one pound falls a quarter,
it shoots up four pounds four quarters. &c.
Two clues here; firstly a heavy thing is thrown upwards - and secondly if one pound falls a quarter and in doing so causes four pounds to rise four quarters, that is another way of saying when a pound falls a quarter it causes another pound to rise a quarter followed by another three each rising a quarter. Bessler is reiterating that there are five (one pound plus four pounds) pounds falling and rising. Clarification to follow.
JC
