To the Reader. 



the VV^orJdj imermix their beams and irradiations in a di- 

 re6j line offro'jeSiion^ to the Generation of Sciences. This 

 our Author hath perform d to admiration ; and in this gone 

 beyond all Antiquity , yet upon their grounds j wlKrein he 

 can never be out-gone , unlefs follorved by Pojlsrity. The 

 Ancients indeed were wen of jnoft profound Jpeculations, but 

 in the delivery of themfel'ves , fomewhat iti'vol'v'd^ as appears 

 by Plorinus, Procliis, Trifmegiftus ^«(^ (j?/.?er/i and many 

 of Flsitoes School writ Dialogue-rvife^ which is no doSirinal 

 zvay. As for Ariftotle, his precepts touching Method (// 

 anyfuchbooh^rvao written) ihey are perijht, failing inhere 

 he fcaiters fitch rules here and there , which fjoiild ha-ve 

 leenfilenced, and are not fo well followed by himfelf. And 

 for the Methods of the Moderns ^Kdnnas and others J^y theiw- 

 proifenient 0/ German lFriters-,infpair'd--, they h^it the limbs 

 of k}iowledge too foon •■, ha-ve bedrva)fed Sciences, and are 

 become an Art (a^ learned Hooker exprejjes it) which 

 teaches the way of jpeedy difcoiure , and rcftrains the 

 mind of man, that it may not wax over-wife. T/j^ Ex- 

 cellency therefore of our Authors Partitions, induced me to 

 thefe delineations, for their ufe only, whoha%'e not the lea- 

 fnre., or patience to obferv^ it, according to the merit; that 

 by this An^Ltomy, the junSlures and arteries, as it were, of 

 this great body might mare 'z/ifibJy appear. Another obje- 

 ction is, touching the Allegations in the Margin, contrary 

 to the folemn cuflom of Antiquity , and the moji of nra'vcr 

 Authors. For this I had thefe reafons. It pie a fed our Au- 

 thor-) though he was himfelf a li'ving fountain of Know- 

 ledge, and had a wealthy floch^ of his own, yet to tajie ofo- 

 ther waters, and te borrow from Antiquity, and to acknow- 

 ledge fuch borrowings; He thus naming his Authors J thought 

 fit to note them. And as he was a tnan of a moji eh'vated 

 phanfie and choice concept ions ^fo wa* he in the fcleSion of hit 

 Authors, andthe pajfages hepleas'dto mdl{e ufe of: and it 

 is worth the labour to know with whomfuch great Wits ufe 

 tocon'verfe; to point to the "hAiWQS where they dig their Ore; 

 and to the fhadows where they repofe at noon. And as his 

 feleBioa of Authors was 'very choice, fo was his application 

 of their fay ings, fvery curiou6 ; and in ajirain beyotid the 

 *vulgar reach. Places out of S2icied Scrtptuves are fo expli- 

 cated 



