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turbances : But Inventions make all men happy without 

 either injury or dammage to any one single person. 

 Furthermore, new Inventions are as it were new Crea- 

 tions, and Imitations of God's own works. 



Again, it were good to take notice of the vertue, 

 efficacy, and consequences of Inventions, which are 

 scarce more conspicuous in any, then in these three, 

 unknown to the Auncients, and whose beginnings 

 (although but of late) are obscure and unrenowned, to 

 wit, the Art of Printing, Gunpowder, and the Marriners' 

 Needle. For these three have changed the face of 

 things throughout the whole world. The first in the 

 matter of Learning, the second in that of War, and the 

 last in Navigation : From whence have followed an 

 innumerable change of things, so that no Empire, no 

 Sect, nor no Constellation seemeth to have had a 

 greater influence upon humane affairs, then these 

 Mechanical Inventions have had. 



