Judgements upon 



cottftanily.by other Authors^ almoU of all Ages and Arguments. Having 

 been true to tit] fin! ptirpoje, in making choice^ for the mo i^ part, of 

 ihofe interpretations, rvhich either bear thejiamp <?/ Antiquity, or rs- 

 ceivc ejiimationfrom the honour of the Author. 



Marin Mcrfenne , An able man , but a declar'd adverfary to our 

 Authors defign (whofe Arguments I fhall encounter in my Apolo- 

 getickforthe Injiaur. of Sciences) in his Book of the Feritj; of Sci- 

 ences againft the Sceptickj and Tyrrhonians, Lib.i. Cap.xvi. acknow- 

 ledges thus much, which coming from an Adverlary is therefore 



more valid. 



Verulam , feems to have no other intention in his New Method, 

 then to e^ablrp the Verity of Sciences ^ wherefore you mujl not anti- 

 cipate, as granted, that he makes for yon, or that he is of your opinion 5 

 he ccnfcffes tee k^oxp little, hut he fnbverts not the Authority of Scnfe 

 and of Reafon, no, he labours to find out proper and proportionable in- 

 (iruments, whereby to condu3 the underjianding to the l^otvledge of 

 J^atnre and her effe&s. 



The Authors Cenfure upon himfelf. 

 For in my judgement, it is a mutter which, concerns not only the Be- 

 nefit of others , but our own Repetition alfo ;' that no man imagine that 

 ice have projelhd in our minds fome flight fuperficial notion of thefe 

 Defigns ; and that they are of the nature of thoje things , which we 

 could Defire, and which we accept only as good wifties. For they art 

 ftich as without quefiion, are within the power and pojjibility of men to 

 compafs, unlefs they be wanting to themfches 5 and hereof, we for onr 

 parts, have certain and evident demdnfiration , for we come not hither, 

 as Augures, to raeafure Countries in our mind, for Divinations, but 

 as Captains, to invade them for conqueft, 



Hisanfvver to fomeTaciteObjeftions, 

 I doforefee that many of thofe things which Iflmll regifier as Defici- 

 ents will incur divers cenfures ^ as that fome parts of this enterprize 

 were done long ago, and are now extant j others, that they taiie of CU' 

 riofity and promife no great fruit '-J others, that they are impojfible to he 

 compaffed by humane indujiries. For the two firft, let the particulars 

 fpeakfor themfelves. For thelaft touching impoffibilities , I deter- 

 mine thus. All thofe things are to be heldpejjible and performable which 

 maybe accomplifit by fome perfon , though not by every one'-, and which 

 may be done by the united labours of many, though not by any one apart ^ 

 and which may be effe&ed in a fticcejfton of Ages, though not in the fame 

 Age '-y and in brief which may befin2f}t by the care and charge ofthepub- 

 lick,-, though not by the abilities and indujlry of private perfons. If for 

 all this there be any. who would rather take to himfelf that of Solomon, 

 DicitPigetjLeo eft in via, than that <?/Virgil 



Poflunt quia pofle videntur 



it is enough for me, if my labours may be ejieemedas votes, yet the better 



fort of wifics: for as it asks fome knowledge to demand a QueftioQ 



not impertinent ; fo it requires fome underftanding, to make a wifti 



not abiurd. Froem. lib.2. IN 



