DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68888#0039
7 he Prefac e.
of our Nation to accomplisby feeing one. of the wisest of our Statesmen,the
Lord Verulam,^^ propoundedit.
But to return to my Subseclyfrom a dlgresfeony whichy Ihopfyny Beader
will pardon me, feeing the Example is sb rare that I can make no more suck
digresfeons. Isthefe my sirsi Labours/ball be any ways usefulto inqui-
ring meny I muft attribute the incour agement and promotion of them to a ve.->
ry Reverend and Learned Perlon, gf whom this ought in juft ice to- be faidy
That there is fcarceany one Invention, which this Nation has pro-
duc’d in our Age, but it has fome way or other been set forward by
his assistance. My Reader Jbelievejvill quickly ghefiythat it is Dr. WiL
kins that I mean.He io indeed a manbornfor thegpoA of mankind,/Wsor
the honour os ^Country. In the Iweetnels os whose behaviour,in the
calmness of his mind, in the unbounded goodness of his heart, we have
an evident Inftancey what the true and the primitive unpassionate Religk
on waSy before it was sowred by particular Farions. In a wordy his Zeal
has been fo constant and eftcstua! in advancing all good and prositable
ArcSythat as one of the Antient Romans [aid of Scipio, That he thanked
God that he was a Roman ; because whereever Scipio had been born,
there had been the seat of the Empire of the world: So may I thanks
Gody that Dr. Wilkins was an Englishman, for whereever he had lived,
there had been the chies Seat of generous Knowledge and true Philoso-
phy. To the truth os thiSythereare fo many worthy men living that will fuby
scribcy that I am confidenty what I have here faidy will not be lookedupony
by any ingenious Readery as a Panegyrick, but only as a real testir
mony.
By the Advice of'this Excellent man Ifirsi fet upon this Enterprifeyyei
siill came to it with much Beln^ncy ybecaufe I was to sollow the footfieps of
so eminent a Perfon as Dr. Wren , who was the firfi that attempted any
thing of this nature; whofe original draughts do now make one of the Orna-
ments ofthat great Collebiion cf Rarities in the Kings Closet. fhis Ho-
nor, which his sirfi beginnings os this kind have receivdy to be admitted in-
to the moftfamousplace of the worldydid not fo much incourage, as the ha-
zard of coming aster Dr. Wren did affright me; for of him Imufi asfirm^
thaty fence the time of Archimedes, there scarce ever met in one many in fo
great
of our Nation to accomplisby feeing one. of the wisest of our Statesmen,the
Lord Verulam,^^ propoundedit.
But to return to my Subseclyfrom a dlgresfeony whichy Ihopfyny Beader
will pardon me, feeing the Example is sb rare that I can make no more suck
digresfeons. Isthefe my sirsi Labours/ball be any ways usefulto inqui-
ring meny I muft attribute the incour agement and promotion of them to a ve.->
ry Reverend and Learned Perlon, gf whom this ought in juft ice to- be faidy
That there is fcarceany one Invention, which this Nation has pro-
duc’d in our Age, but it has fome way or other been set forward by
his assistance. My Reader Jbelievejvill quickly ghefiythat it is Dr. WiL
kins that I mean.He io indeed a manbornfor thegpoA of mankind,/Wsor
the honour os ^Country. In the Iweetnels os whose behaviour,in the
calmness of his mind, in the unbounded goodness of his heart, we have
an evident Inftancey what the true and the primitive unpassionate Religk
on waSy before it was sowred by particular Farions. In a wordy his Zeal
has been fo constant and eftcstua! in advancing all good and prositable
ArcSythat as one of the Antient Romans [aid of Scipio, That he thanked
God that he was a Roman ; because whereever Scipio had been born,
there had been the seat of the Empire of the world: So may I thanks
Gody that Dr. Wilkins was an Englishman, for whereever he had lived,
there had been the chies Seat of generous Knowledge and true Philoso-
phy. To the truth os thiSythereare fo many worthy men living that will fuby
scribcy that I am confidenty what I have here faidy will not be lookedupony
by any ingenious Readery as a Panegyrick, but only as a real testir
mony.
By the Advice of'this Excellent man Ifirsi fet upon this Enterprifeyyei
siill came to it with much Beln^ncy ybecaufe I was to sollow the footfieps of
so eminent a Perfon as Dr. Wren , who was the firfi that attempted any
thing of this nature; whofe original draughts do now make one of the Orna-
ments ofthat great Collebiion cf Rarities in the Kings Closet. fhis Ho-
nor, which his sirfi beginnings os this kind have receivdy to be admitted in-
to the moftfamousplace of the worldydid not fo much incourage, as the ha-
zard of coming aster Dr. Wren did affright me; for of him Imufi asfirm^
thaty fence the time of Archimedes, there scarce ever met in one many in fo
great