- “Fhe. Pratt oda. 
The good firccel? of all thefe great Men,and many others, and the now 
feemingly great obvioutnels of moft of their and divers other Inventions, 
which from the beginning of the world have been, as ‘twere, trod on, and 
yet not minded till thelé laft inquifitive Ages ( an Argument that there. 
may be yet bebind multitudes of the like’) puts.me in mind to recommend 
———_ fuch Studies,and the profecution of them by fuch methods, to the Gentlemen 
of our Nation,whofe \eifure makes them fitto undertakes and the plenty 
of their fortunes toaccomplith, extraordinary thingsin this way. And I 
— do not onlypropofe this kind of Experimental Philofophy as a matter of 
high rapture and delight of the mind, but even asa material and f{enfi- 
ble Pleafure. So vaft is the variety of Objetts which will come under 
thetr Infpecii ions, fo many different wayes there are of handling them, fo 
great is the {atistaction of finding out new things, that I das compare. 
the contentment which they will injoy,not only to that of contemplation, 
but evento that which moft men prefer of the very Senfes themfelves. 
And. if they will pleafe to take any incouragement from. fo mean. 
and [o imperfeci endeavours 4s mine, upon my own experience, I can 
affure them,without arrogance, That there has riot been any inquiry or Pro» 
blemin Mechanicks, that I havehitherto propounded to my felf, but by a 
certain method ( which I mity on (ome other opportunity explain) Lhave — 
been able prefently to examine the poffibility of it ;..and if 0, a5 éafily to exe 
‘cogitate divers wayes of performing it: And indeed it ispofible todoas 
much by this method in Mechanicks, 4s by Algebra cam be perform'din 
Geometry. Nor can I at all doubt, but that the fame method is as ap- 
- plicableto Phyfical Enquiries , and as likely to find and reap thence as 
plentiful a crop of Inventions ; and indeed there feems tobe no fubjett fo 
barren,but may with this good bishanitty be highly improw'd. | 
Toward the profecution of this method in Phyfical Inquiries, I have 
bere and there gleaned up an handful of Obfervations, in the colleétion of 
moft of which Imade ufe of Microfcopes, and Jome other Glafles and I, n- 
ftruments that improve the fenfe ; which way I have herein taken, not 
that there are not multitudes of ufeful and pleafant Obfervables, yet untol- 
leéted, obvious enough without the helps of Art , but only to promote the ufe 
= Mechanical 5 for the net spoth i in the frying the already vifible 
~ World, 
