Gabb, Thomas: Finis pyramidis or Disquisitions concerning the antiquity and scientific end of the great pyramid of Giza, or ancient Memphis, in Egypt, and of the first standard of linear measure (Retford, 1806)

{ 44 )

pyramidic foot ¡s 8.7552: certainly, as 52 of 10 000 parts
in an inch, is no object, the reasoning is conclusive:
and it is fairly proved, Vitruvius and the Roman people
used the foot of the pyramid standard, which exactly
falls in with, illustrates, and verifies all above said of the
prohibitory Roman law.

That the Syracusians still use this foot, we know
from our common tables, wherein it is noted 8.7583 of
our inches, and called the foot of Archimedes : and the
variation between this and the pyramidic foot is only 3i
parts of 10 000 into which an inch is divided, no object
in itself, and might easily have happened in transfering
from old to new specimens : and I have repeatedly
found as much as a sixteenth of an inch variation, in
our two foot rules. No wonder, therefore, some still
smaller difference should be found in ancient specimens
even when engraved on brass ; since the ten thousandth
part of an inch is an imperceptible quantity.

And if we make an allowance, even in a less degree,
than is found amongst our carpenters rules, for unavoid-
able minute errors in transfering from one instrument
to another; it will be found, that the Roman Architects,
at this day, use a measure, {under a different denomina-
tion, probably the better to distinguish it from the
modernly invented foot-measure,) so near to the py-
ramidic foot, as to preclude all doubt of it's having that
for it's origin : in our tables it is noted in the decimal
fraction of our foot, .732,this multiplied by 19 produces
8.784, and by subtracting the pyramidic foot 8.7552,
there rests the difference only of O.0288=3of anhundred
and twenty-six into which an inch is imagined to be di-
vided, very nearly; how easily might so small a difference
have happened in the Iapseofmanycenturies,andcanany

sceptic