LETTERS FROM THE BACONIANA. 221 



Rare and Dense Bodies, but imperfect, though carried on 

 to some length. 



I had once in my hands an entire and thick volume 

 concerning heavy and light bodies, but consisting only of a 

 naked delineation of the model, which the Lord Bacon had 

 framed in his head, in titles of matters, without any descrip 

 tion of the matters themselves. There is here enclosed a 

 copy of that contexture* containing only the heads of the 

 chapters, and wanting a full handling from that rude draught, 

 which supplement I despair of. 



For the book of dense and rare bodies which you have 

 by you, perfected by the author s last hand, as likewise the 

 Fragments, which are an appendix to it, I could wish that 

 they might be here published in Holland, together with 

 those hitherto unpublished philosophical papers copied by 

 me, out of MSS. of Sir William Boswel ; seeing if they 

 come out together, they will set off and commend one 

 another. 



I have begun to deal with a printer, who is a man of 

 great diligence and curiosity. I will so order the matter, 

 that you shall have no reason to complain of my fidelity 

 and candour, if you leave that edition to me. Care shall 

 be taken by me, that it be not done without honourable 

 mention of yourself; but be it what it will, you shall re 

 solve upon ; it shall abate nothing of the offices of our 

 friendship, which, from this beginning of it, shall still further 

 be promoted upon all occasions. 



Lewis Elzevir wrote me word lately, from Amsterdam, 

 that he was designed to begin shortly an edition in quarto 

 of all the works of the Lord Bacon, in Latin or English ; 

 but not of the English without the translation of them into 



* This letter came to my hands without that copy. See, 

 in lieu of it, Topica de Gravi et Levi, in lib. v, cap. 3, De 

 Augm, Scien. 



