This image is an illustration from the book Principiporum Philosophae written by Rene Descartes in 1656. 

This was published as a pamphlet, approximately 6" x 8". The illustration is stippled, ink on paper.

The explanatory text above the image clearly explains what it means:

And the likes of the whirl of K, and others, to all men, is to be judged. 

Source: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descarte...