viii PREFACE. 



offered many valuable comments ou their contents, 

 together with notices of several of his publications. 



Other materials for a fuller biographical account are 

 to be found among numerous letters in the British 

 Museum. Ayscough^s Catalogue refers to a ^^ Collec- 

 tion of Letters and Papers relating to the embassy of 

 Mr. Pellj Hartlib, Durie, and others to Dantzick, to 

 settle differences in religion/' also Volumes of extracts 

 of Letters addressed to him, and among the rest, '^ A 

 phytological letter," none of which appear in the present 

 work. And the Index to the Additional Manuscripts, 

 1782-1835, affords references to his Petition, Corres- 

 pondence, and account of himself. 



The last volume of the works of the Honourable 

 Robert Boyle, also contains a large collection of letters 

 written to him by Hartlib. 



There is a brief notice of him and his works, 

 by Professor Donaldson, in his excellent Agricultural 

 Biography, 8vo. 1854. Commenting on the profli- 

 gacy of the restored monarchy and Hartlib^s humihat- 

 ing circumstances, he remarks, '^ These are painful 

 reflections, and put to shame every boast of civilized 

 life." 



The present memoir offers only a very brief sketch 

 of the literary and patriotic career of Samuel HartHb, 

 yet it is a much fuller account than any hitherto offered 

 to the public ; and it is quite possible that further re- 

 search may bring to light much interesting information. 



