TO THE READER xci 



greater things produc'd, namely, by Emancipating, and freeing 

 themselves from the Tyranny of Opinion, delusory and 

 fallacious shews, to receive nothing upon Trust, but bring 

 it to the Lydian Touch, make it pass the Fire, the c/fnvit 

 and the File, till it come forth perfectly repurged, and of 

 consistence. They are not hasty in concluding from a single, 

 or incompetent number of Experiments, to pronounce the 

 Ecstatic Heureca, and offer Hecatombs; but, after the most 

 diligent Scrutiny, and by degrees, and wary Inductions honestly 

 and faithfully made, to record the 'Truth, and event of Tryals, 

 and transmit them to Posterity. They resort not immediately 

 to general Propositions, upon every specious appearance ; but 

 stay for Light, and Information from Particulars, and make 

 Report de Facto, and as Sense informs them. They reject no 

 Sect of Philosophers, no {Mechanic Helps, except no Persons of 

 Men ; but chearfully embracing all, cull out of all, and alone 

 retain what abides the Test; that from a plentiful and well 

 furnish'd {Magazine of true Experiments, they may in time 

 advance to solemn and established trfxiomes, General l^ules 

 and {Maximes ; and a Structure may indeed lift up its head, 

 such as may stand the shock of Time, and render a solid 

 accompt of the Phenomena, and Effects of O^ature, the <Aspec- 

 table Works of God, and their Combinations ; so as by Causes 

 and Effects, certain and useful Consequences may be deduced. 

 Therefore they do not fill their Papers with Transcripts out of 

 ( I(hapsodists, {Mountebancs, and Compilers of l^eceipts and 

 Secrets, to the loss of Oil and Labour ; but as it were, evis- 

 cerating Nature, disclosing the Assorts, and Springs of 

 ^Motion, have collected innumerable Experiments, Histories and 

 discourses ; and brought in Specimens for the Improvement of 

 Astronomy, Geography, Navigation, Optics; all the Parts of 

 Agriculture, the Garden and the Forest; Anatomy of Plants, 

 and <:Animals ; {Mines and Ores ; {Measures and ^Equations of 

 Time by accurate Pendulums, and other Motions, Hydro- and 



