22 



Vicomt St. Albaii 



kind as may be fundamental for the building up of Na- 

 tural Philofophy. For neither can any exaft way ofDe- 

 ittonUration or Form of interpreting "Nature , both guard 

 and fupport the mind from error and lapfe 5 and withal 

 prefent and minifter matter for knowledge. But they who 

 propofed to themfelves not to proceed by Conjectures 

 and Divinations , but to find out , and to know, whofe 

 end and aim is not to contrive Fidions and Fables, but to 

 fearch with diligence into the nature of, and, as it is were, 

 aiiatomi'x.e this true iPorld; muft derive all from the very 

 things themfelves. Nor can thefubfticution and compen- 

 fationof Wit, or Meditation, or Argumentation fuffice to 

 this travail, inquifition, and mundane perambulation 5 no 

 not if all the Wits in the World /hould meet together. 

 W'^hcrefore we muft either take a right courfe, or defert 

 the bufinefs forever : and to this day the matter hath been 

 fo managed, that it is no marvail, if nature hath not dif- 

 clofed her felf. For firft, defedive and fallacious infor- 

 mation of fenfe ; negligent, inequal, and as it were, cafu- 

 al obfervation i vain Tradition, and from idle Repoiti Pra- 

 £lice, intent on the Work, and Servile ', Experimental at- 

 tempt^ ignorant, dull, wild,and broken : laftly, flight and 

 poor Natural Hijiory 5 have towards the railing of Philo- 

 fophy , congefted moft depraved matter for the under- 

 ftanding After this, prepofterous fubtilty of arguing , 

 and ventilation , hath eflayed a late remedy to things 

 plainly defperate ; which doth not any way recover the 

 bufinefs, or feparate errors. ^ Wherefore there if no hope 

 of greater adi/ancement and progrefs, but in the ReBaurati' 

 of Sciences. And the commencements hereto muft, by- 

 all means, be derived from Natural Hijiory i and that too, 

 of a new kind and provifion ; for to no purpofe you poli/h 

 the Glafs, if Images be wanting : not only faithful guards 

 muft be procured, but apt matter prepared. And this our 

 Hifiory, 3is our Logicl{, differs from that in ufe, in many 

 particulars : in the end or office^ in the Mafs and Congeries , 

 then in the fubttlty^ alfo in choice, and in conftitntion in re' 

 ference to thofe things that follow. § For frfi n>e propound 

 (uch a Natural Hijiory y as doth not fo much cither pleafc 

 for the variety of things, or profit for prefent improve- 

 ment 



