hif Preface. 2% 



to minds tender and preoccupate, at fir/t entrance, td be- 

 come familiar with nature i we therefore many times add 

 our own obfervations, as certain firit convcrfions and in- 

 clinations, and as it were, A fpeSls of HiJior)i to Pbilofophy; 

 to the end chat they may be both pledges to men, that they 

 fhall not ever be detained in the waves of Hiftory ■■, as alfo 

 that when they are once arrived to the operation of the 

 iinderftanding, all may be in a more preparednefs. And 

 by this kind of Natural Hijiory, as here we defcribe, we 

 fuppofe that there may be a fecure and eafie acccfs unto 

 Nature ^ and folid and prepared m.atter prefented unto the 

 Underfranding. 



^ Norp we ha've both fortified and environed the un- P. IV; 

 .derftanding with faithful Auxiliaries and forces, and by 

 a ftrid Mufrer raifed a compleat Army of Divine Works, 

 there feems nothing remaining but that ivefet nponPhilofophy 

 it ftlf. But in fo deficile and dubious an enterprife, there 

 arc fome particulars, which feemnece/Tarily to be inter- 

 pofcd partly for inftruclion, partly for prefent ufe. ^ Of 

 thefe the frji is, that the examples oflnquifition^ and of In^ 

 *vention^ he propounded according to our Rule and Me- 

 thod reprefented in particular Subje6}s ; chiefly making 

 choice of fuch Subjects, which amongft other things to 

 be enquired, are the moft noble, and in mutual relation , 

 moft adverfe ^ that there may not want an example in eve- 

 ry kind.^ Nor do we fpeak of thofe examples, which for 

 illuflration fake, are annexed to every particular Precept 

 and Rule (for we have fufficiently quit our felves hereof 

 in tht Second Fart of the Worh^^^ but we mean dire^ljy 

 the Types and Platforms which may prefent, as ic were, 

 to the eye, the whole Procedure of the Mind, and the 

 continued Fabrick and Order of Invention, in certain (e- 

 lc6:cd fubje^s j and they various and of remark. For it 

 came into our mind, that in Mathematichj , the frame 

 ftanding, the Demonftration inferred is facile and perfpi*^ 

 cuous ■■, on the contrary, without this accommodation and 

 dependency, all feems involved, and more fubtile than in- 

 deed they be. Wherefore to examples of this fort tvc af- 

 fi^n the Fourth Part of our JVork^: which indeed is nothing 

 elfe, but a particular, and explicite application of the Se- 

 cond Pare. [H] ^ Bh« 



