ATREATISE 



perverted, by hiving been imbued in the fchoole* withunfonnd 

 and umbratile principles, (hould perfwade himfelfe, that howfc- 

 ever the pretenders unto learning and fcience, may talk loud of 

 all things, and make a noife with Scholaftick termes, and per- 

 fwade their ignorant hearers that they fpeak and unfold deep 

 myfteries , yet in very truth, nothing at all can be knowne : I 

 fhallbeiecch them both to fufpencJ their conjectures or belieres 

 herein, and to rcfcrve their cenfure of me, whether or no I 'have 

 (trained too farre, until! the. learned Author ofthe Dialogues of 

 the world, have enriched it with the work he hath compofedof 

 Metaphyfikes : in which, going orderly and rigoroufly by con- 

 tinued proportions, infucfafort as Mathematicians demonftratc 

 their undertakings, he hath left no fcope for wrangling braines to 

 make the leaft cavttl againft his doclrine: and caftlnghis (harp 

 fighted thoughts over th^ whole extent of nature, and driving 

 them up to the Almighty Author of it, he hath left nothing out 

 of the verge of thofe rules, and all comprehending principles he 

 giveth of true fcience. And then I doubt not, but they will 

 throughly ablolvc me from having ufed my amplification, in ay- 

 mingat the reach of this allgrafping power. For my part, the 

 beft expreffion that I am able to make of this admirable piece, 

 I muft borrow from witty Gcililcu* , when hee fpeaketh of 

 Archimedes his long mifled booke of glaflcs; and profefle, that 

 having fome. of the Elements or bookes of it entrufted in my 

 hands by the Author, I read them over with extream amaze- 

 ment, as well as delight, for the wondcrfull lubtility, and folid- 

 neffc of them. 



4< Thus much for knowledge. Now let us cafl an eye updn hu- 



Of humane ^anc actions. AU that we doe Cir we doe it as we fhould dee, 



aftions,and of and like men) is governed and fteired by two forts of qualities..- 



thofe that con- the one of which, we call Arts ; tie other Prudences. An art, is a 



ccrneur fclvcs. {-0}]^^ of generall rules,comprehending fome one fubjecl-jup- 



on which we often werke. The matters we work upon (out of 



which the particular fab/efts of arts doc fpring) arc of 3 . kinds : 



our felves* our neighbours, and fuchdumbe or infendble things, 



as cempofe the red of the world . 



Our aftions upon our klres, are thehigheft and thenoblcft of 

 all the reft, andthofe by which we lire and work as men : or 

 to cxpreflemy fclfe better, they are thofe by which we perfect 



tbat 



