hir Prefice, 



fftene e^f Experutients, as it doth difperfe a light to the 

 invention of caufcsj and ^ives, as it were, the fir/1: Milk 

 to the nouriilling up of Philofophy. For though we 

 principally purfue operation, and thcAf^ive part of Sci- 

 ences •, yet we attend the due feafon of Harveft 5 nor go 

 about td reap the green herb or the blade. For we know 

 Well that Axioms rightly invented, draw after them the 

 whole ttoup of Operations , and nbt fparfedly, but plen- 

 fiilly exhibit Works, But We utterly condemn and re- 

 nounce, as At al ant aes Apple \'v\ric\\ retards the Race^ that 

 iinfeafonable and childifli humour of accelerating early 

 Pledges of new Works. And' this is the Duty of our 

 Natural Hijiory. ^ ris for the Maff, we compile a Hiftory, 

 hot only of Nature at Liberty ,' and in Courfe j I mean, 

 when without compulfion flic glides gently along, and ac- 

 compliflies her own work : (as is the Hifiory of the Hea- 

 tfetJSsMeteorSjEarth and Sea ; of Minerals-iPlants ^Animals :^ 

 but iTiuch rather of "Nature Jiraitned and i/ext , when by 

 the provocations of Art, and the miniftry of Man, /he is 

 put out of her common rdad , diftreflTed and wrought. 

 Wherefore, all the experiments of Arts Mechanical ,• all 

 of the Operative part of Liberal ; all -of many PraL^ical, 

 hot yet confpired into a peculiar Art (fo far as any difco- 

 Very may be had, and fo far as isconducent to our inten- 

 tion) we will fet down at large. So likewife (^not to 

 diflemble the matter) nothing regarding mens pride and 

 bravadeS) we beftow more pains, and place more a/Tu- 

 rance in this Part than in that other i being the nature of 

 things, more diiclofes her felf in the 'vexation of Art , than 

 when it is at its own liberty i^ Nor do we prefent the 

 HiUory of SuhUance only^ but alfo we have taken it as a 

 part of our diligence, to prepare a feparate Hifiory of their 

 'vertites J wemean,fuch as in nature may be accounted 

 Cardinal, and wherein thePrimordialsof Nature arcex- 

 prefly conftitutcd ; as matter inveiled with her Primitive 

 qualities and appetites j as dsnfe^ rare^ hoi, coldy c&nftfienty 

 flttid^ ponderous^ light^and others not a few. § For indeed, 

 to fpeak of fnhtilty^ we fearch out rPith choice diligence, 

 al{ind of Experiments i far more fttbtile andfifnple than tbofe 

 sommonly met with. For we educe and excraft many out 



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