214. The Statural H'tjiory 



CHAP. IX. 

 Of Ms. 



THUS having run through all the Natural Bodies I have 

 met with in Oxford-Jhire, fuch as either Dame Nature has 

 always retained the fame from the beginning, as Waters, 

 Earths, Stones, iyc. or freely produces in her ordinary courfe, 

 as Plants, Animals, with all her extravagancies and defefis, or o- 

 ther accidents attending : I am come at length, according to my 

 propofed method, to treat of Arts, and things artificial, that have 

 either been invented or improved in this County ; whereof firft, of 

 fuch as have tended to the difcovery of the magnitudes, or de- 

 termination of the motions of the Heavenly Bodies, whither alfo 

 muft be referr'd the contrivance of new Periods, of new Hypo- 

 thefes and their demonfirations. Secondly, I fti all confider Air, 

 Fire, and water-works, and thence go on to fuch Arts as have a- 

 ny relation to Earths, Stones, or Plants. In fhort, I fhall here 

 alfo follow the method of the whole Effay as in fome other Cha- 

 pters, by the way taking in all Inventions, and improvements that 

 I have met with in this County, whether in the Mechanick. or 

 Liberal Arts ; which I intend the whole (cope of the following 

 Chapter. 



v 2. The firft CeleftialOhfervations in order of time, made here, 

 that were any thing artificial, I prefume might be done by Robert 

 Groiihead Bifhop of Lincoln, craffi quidem capitis, fed [ubtills in- 

 genii, fays Pitfens of him h ; who amongft other his Learned 

 works, left us Treatifes of the Sphere and the Aftrolabe, with which 

 no queftion he found out many things that were new to that age : 

 But becaufe we can inftance in no particulars, let it fuffice as an 

 evidence of the great probability, that he is highly commended 

 for his knowledge in Aftronomy and Perfrefiive by Roger Bacon a 

 Frier minor of Oxon: and fomtime Fellow of Merton College, a 

 Man of fuch affrighting (kill in Mathematicks, efpecially Perfte- 

 ftive, thathejuftly deferved the title of Dr. Mirabilis. Nor in- 

 deed was he out of the way who gave him fo much, flnce had he 



* In Anno 1253. 



lived 



