bis Preface. 



and undertaking more than it can maftcr, feems rather to 

 e^ahltjlj and fix Errors than to open a rvay to Truth. 

 § Wherefore to recoiled: what hath been iaid, it Teems 

 that neither Informatiofi from others^ fior wens Inqniries 

 touching Sciences^ have hitherto liiccefsfully fhined forth, 

 efpecially feeing there is fo little certainty in Dcmonjirati' 

 on and Infaliibility of Experiments thus far difcovered. 

 And the Fabrick of the Univerfe to the contemplative 

 eye of the Mind, for the frame thereof, is like fome Laby- 

 jinth or intricate Maze, where fo many doubtful palfagcs j 

 fuch deccivcablerefemblances, of Things and Signs j fuch 

 oblique and ferpentine windings, and intricate knots of 

 Nature every where prefent themfelves, as confounds the 

 under/landing. And withall, wc muft continually make 

 our way, through the woods of Experiences, and parti- 

 cular Natures, by the incertain Light of Senfe, fometimes 

 fhining, fonierimcs fhadowed : yea, and the guides, which 

 (as hath been toucht) offer their afflftance, they likevvife 

 are entangled, and help to make up the number of Errors, 

 and of thofe that Err. In matters of fuch perplext dif- 

 ficulty, there is no relying upon the Judgement of men 

 from their own abilities j or upon the Cafual Felicity of 

 Particular ei/ents j for neither the capacity of Man^ how 

 excellent foever ; nor the chance of Experience , never fo 

 often iterated and eflayed, is of force to conquer thefe 

 Myfterics : we muft march by line and level, and all the 

 way, even from the firft perception of Senfes, muft be fe- 

 cujed, and fortified by a certain Rule, and conftant Me- 

 thod of proceeding. ^ Yet are not thefe things fo to be 

 underftood, as if, in fo many Ages, and fo much Indu- 

 ftry, nothing at all hath been performed to purpofe ■■, nor 

 is theiranycaufe why it fhould repent us of the Difcoite- 

 ries already madej for certainly the Ancients, in thofe 

 fpeculations which confift in ftrength of Wit, and abftraft 

 Meditation, have approved themfelves men of admirable 

 comprehenfions : But as in the Art of Navigation^ the 

 men of former Ages, direding their courfe by obfervation 

 of Stars only, could edge along the coaft of the known 

 Continent, and it may be, crofs fome narrow Seas or the 



[F] Me.- 



