The Epijile Dedicatory. 1 



every part feems deftitute of beauty, an J 

 without any thing of gieat worth, value, 

 ornoblenefs. For I finde, that the opera- 

 tions themfelves, and other matters that do 

 belong to the fubjeft in hand, and fo capa- 

 ble to come under this Hiftory, are for the 

 moil: part common, and devoid of curiofr 

 ty: Nor durft I embellifh their plainnefs 

 with Stories taken from our Learned and 

 Profound Writers of Natural Magick, be- 

 caufel intended;, as no very imperfe&, fo 

 likewife a true Inventary of what the pow- 

 er of man, at this prefent time, on rhisfub- 

 jeft, is, with the Go-operation of Nature, 

 able to produce: For thefe reafons, and 

 perchance becaufe of another piece then un- 

 der my hand, to which I had more propenfe 

 sffe&ions. I was exercifed in this writing, 

 not without fome reluftancy and untoward- 

 nefs of minde 5 and it furely had proved to 

 me a piece of meer drudgery, had not the 

 hope of giving you fatisfaftion, and making 

 this a teftimony of my obeyfance and hum- 

 ble fubmiffion to your Judgement and de- 

 fires infpirited me, and let a lightfomnefs 

 into my thoughts. What I have written, I 

 (hall not commend, by any Prefaces, to any 

 Reader, though I (hall give him here fome 

 things new, and of my proper Obfervstion : 

 I know that many, by their own Intereft 



and 



