To the Reader. 



mind of man, the principal fnbjeci to be tprought upon ^ 

 and her fpccnlations , both nhiih rve fo adfjiire , are fo 

 zMvntr'd andbloch^ up with corrupt notions^ either from the 

 plactts of Thilofophers, the depra'ved Lawi of Densonfirj" 

 lion J or from inherent qua lit kf in the general nature of man^ 

 or individuate temperature of particulars '-, that nothing can 

 be done until thefe be conzfinced; at leaj}, JubjeBed to ex- 

 amination : which is another moti<ve that Jiayt we upon 

 the Land. An other Reafon (which is the laji I will trou- 

 ble the Reader withaU)is this. Time the meafure of all out 

 ASiions , without whofe ajfiflance our beH conceptions are 

 Abortives, by the intercurrence of other engagements (which 

 1 might hai/e difpencedwithaU, had I rightly underjioocl the 

 ferz/ile tenure of fecular contraSls)hathfurpri'x.'d me. 1 con- 

 ceive^ which I pronounce with fomepafjlgn , that a Scholar 

 for hisjiudies had been the mafler of his own hours- hut he 

 that trafckj with the world JJyall find it otherwife. Time 

 which Iprefum'dl could command^and flay 06 I do my Watchy 

 hath commanded me. And theje diverflons were feconded 

 ( Humane Reader ^ by a fad Accident. It pleafed God 

 in the heat of my attendance on this bufinefs^ to tal^e away, 

 by one of the terrors of mortality , the Stone , my dear 

 brother Sir Richard Scot, fervant to the moU eminent Lord, 

 the Lord Deputy General of Ireland ; beloved of his dear 

 Lord to the latefl minute of life j honour d- with his pre- 

 fence to the farthefl confnes of mortality j and there, by 

 his Noble Piety., deliver d up, with as much folemnityy as 

 a Kingdom could confer , unto the immortality of another 

 World. This deadly Jhaftpafflng through hint:, fo wound- 

 ed me, that I my f elf was arrived within few paces of the 

 land of darkpefs. In his filent Marble .^ the beflpart of 

 that f mall portion of joy 1 had in the World h but all my 

 hopes are entombed. This penfive cafualty fo tooh^me off' 

 frombookj andbufinefs , as for fome months after, I could 

 relijh no thoughts but what were mingled with the contem^ 

 plations of mortality. 



Sic fugit interea fugit irrevocabile tempus. 



Thefe were the impediments to my A P O L O G E T I C !C-, , 



[B qJ whick 



