318 INTRODUCTION 



former notes being lost) I (my former notes being- 

 have endeavoured to sett lost) I have, at the instance 

 these downe in such a way, of a powerful Friend, en- 

 as may sufficiently instruct deavoured now in the year 

 me to putt any of them 1655, to set them down in 

 in practice havinge where- such a way as may suffi- 

 with to doe it.&quot; ciently instruct me to put 



any of them in practice. 



&quot; Artis et Naturae prole.&quot; 



The peculiar term &quot; Scantlings/ here employed, is 

 no doubt derived from escliantillon, a pattern or 

 quantity cut for a particular purpose, a certain small 

 quantity serving as a sample of some similar larger 

 piece of work ; the &quot; Century &quot; being intended by its 

 author as but the precursor of his proposed ample, 

 finished, descriptive and illustrated production. 



No one unacquainted with the state of scientific 

 knowledge between 1601 and 1667, can justly estimate 

 the character and value of the Marquis s labours. 

 Properly to understand him the reader must place him 

 self as much as possible in his actual condition, peruse 

 the books that he might have read, and consider the 

 existing state of society and science. No commentator 

 has yet done this, and consequently a serious difficulty 

 has been thrown in the way of the purely classical 

 scholar, who, though he might fairly estimate the Mar 

 quis s character on points of history, learning, or theo 

 logy, could in no way turn to account his one hundred 

 extraordinary inventions. When Walpole composed 

 his &quot;Catalogue of Eoyal and Noble Authors,&quot; the 

 capricious cynic was sorely perplexed how to treat such 

 a literary production as the &quot; Century.&quot; It has been 

 said of the wit that he had so disparaged all things in 

 his own eyes, that nothing appeared to him worthy 



