Vi count St. Albans 



Perfons in private , For neither the Births^nor the Abortions 

 of Time: ha've beenRegijired. ^ NorisConfent itfelf, nor 

 the long continuation thereof, with fuch reverence to be 

 adored ; for however there may be many kinds of States 

 in Ci'vilGo'vernment ; yet the State of Sciences is but one^ 

 which always was, and fo will continue ^Popular ; and with 

 the People the Difciplinesmoft in requeft are cither Fw^- 

 naciom and Polemical , or Specious and Frivolous ; name* 

 \y fuch as either illaqueate or allure the ajfent. Where- 

 fore without queftion,the grcateli: Wits in every age have 

 been over- born, and in a fori tyrannized over, whiiftmen 

 of Capacity and Comprehenilon above the vulgar, (yet 

 confulting their own Credit and Reputation) have fub- 

 mittcd themfelves to the ovcr-fvvaying Judgement of Time 

 2ind Multitude. Therefore if in any T?wf or P/<?ce, more 

 profound Contemplations have perchance emerged and 

 revealed themfelves, they have been forthwith toft and ex- 

 tinguiflit by the Winds and Tempefts of Popular opini- 

 ons : fo that Time like a Ki'ver carries dorrn to us that 

 which is light and bloKPn up ■■, but finhj and drowns that 

 which is weighty and f olid. § Nay, the very fame Au- 

 thors, who haveufurpt a kind of ViBature in Sciences^znd. 

 with fuch confidence paft cenfure upon matters in doubt, 

 have yet (the heat once over) m the Inter'v a Is, from thefe 

 peremptory fits of Aflcveration, changed their note, and 

 betaken themfelves to complaints, upon the fiibtilty'' of 

 Nature, the fecret ReceJJes of Truth, the Obfcurity ofThingS-j^ 

 the Implication of Caufes , the Infirmity of Mans Difcert^-i 

 ing Power : Yet nothing the more modeft for all this, fee-^ 

 ing they chufe rather to charge the Fault upon the common 

 condition of Man and 'Nature, than to acknowledge any 

 Perfonal deficience in themfelves. Yea, it is a thing ufual 

 with them, that what they cannot compafs by Art, their 

 way applied, to conclude the fame impofllble to be attain-; 

 ed by the fame Art : and yet for all this, Art muft not'be 

 condemned, being /he is to examine and judge j where- 

 fore the aim and intention of fuch accufations is only this, 

 That Ignorance may be deli'vered from Ignominy. ^ So like- 

 wife what is already commended unto us, and entertained 

 hitherto, isformoft part fuch a kind of Knowledge, as 15 



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