OF SAMUEL HARTLIB. 15 



duties approaching, in many respects, that of a general 

 agent or secretary. He was in himself a kind of 

 imaginary institution, of which he represented the 

 proprietors, council, and all the ofi&cers ; the funds too, 

 being wholly his own. And that this idea is not far 

 from the truth, if not the very governing principle 

 of his conduct, we shall see hereafter. He desired to be 

 all things to all good and needy men ; and to draw the 

 public to engage in like labours of love, tending to the 

 increase and spreading abroad of intelligence, improve- 

 ment, and industry. 



For properly estimating the character and labours 

 of Samuel Hartlib, we must bear in mind the state 

 of society from 1630 to 1660, which comprises the pe- 

 riod of his principal, if not of all his publications. The 

 means then at command for obtaining publicity for any 

 book, commodity, or important matter whatever, was 

 comparatively meagre. Without the patronage of the 

 great, authors and traders alike were at the mercy of a 

 capricious public. Popular literature was indeed in its 

 veriest infancy. It was, therefore, a public boon to have 

 a friend always at hand like Samuel Hartlib, who, 

 appreciating merit, was foremost to promote it by 

 publishing a pamphlet, with his own commendatory 

 dedication, or address, or otherwise ; and not only so, 

 but by afterwards circulating such information among 

 the great and learned of every grade, whether in 

 England or on the Continent. In the course of years 



