To the %eader: 



wittily reproach'd,and complain'd of, as a dcfe£i: in that 

 Age of hfSj concerning AgriiHlture in general, and is appli- 

 cable /jcre, may attain its dcfired Kemeciy and Confnmmation 



Fa adP ^" ^^^^^ °^ OurS. 



Sjiv'tum ; ' Sola enim Res Rujika^ qux fine dnhitatione proxima, ^ 

 which I car- ^j/^y? confangHtnea Sapienti^ eft , tarn difcentibus egeaty 

 commcTid to qnam mttgiftris : Adhuc in Scholis Khetornm, C^ Gegmetra- 

 thefeiious ruffi^Muficorumque '-, Vel quod mack mirandum eft ^ contemn 

 ou™G£«°r». ptijpf^fomm <vitiomm o^cinits^ gulofths condiendi ctbos^ C^ 

 Et mihi ad luxurtofius fercnld ftruendi^ capitumqne ^ capiUorum con- 

 u^T ^ime ^^""'^f^^^^ ^^^ folnm ejfe aHdifi^ fed d^ ipfe i^idi j Agri- 

 vUtturacce- colationjs neque DoSlores qui fe profiterentur^ neque Dtfci- 

 dere. Cic.de p^los cooito'vi. But thisi Icavc forour Gallants to Inter- 

 pret , and fliould now apply my felf to the DireSii've 

 Part, which I am all this while befpeaking, if after what 

 I have faid in the feveral Paragraphs of the enfuing Dif- 

 courfe upon the Argument of IVood, it might not feem fu- 

 perfluous to have ^r^w//e<^ any thing here for the Encou- 

 ragement of fo becoming an Induftry : Let me be per- 

 mitted to fay, There is fufficient for InftruBion^ and more 

 then is extant in any ColhSiion whaifoever (abftt -verba in- 

 i>id/a) upon this fubjeSl ', abftraf^ing things FraSiicabhy 

 of foiid ufe, and material, from the O^entati'm and im- 

 pertinences of Writers ; who receiving ail that came to 

 hand on truft, to fwell their monftrous Volumes, have 

 hitherto impos'd upon the credulous JVorld^ without con- 

 fcience or honefty. I willnot exafperate the Adorers of our 

 ancient and late Naturalifts, hy repeating of what our Veru- 

 lam has juftly pronounc'd concerning their Khapfodies(bc- 

 caufe I likewifc honor their painful Endea-vours-Sii^d am ob- 

 liged to them for much of that I know)nor will [(w^'' fome) 

 reproach Pliny, Porta,Cardan,Mi'i.aldm,Curfrm, and many 

 others of great "Names (whofe Writings I have diligently 

 confulted) for the Knowledg they have imparted to me on 

 this Occalion \ but I muft deplore the time which is ^for 

 the moflpart^ fo mifcrably loft in purfuitof their Specu- 

 lations, where they treat upon this Argument : But the 

 ^<?rWisnowadvis'd, and (blc/Ted be 6^f/) infinitely re- 

 d -em'd from that bale and fcrvile fubmitlion of our 

 nobleft Faculties to their blind Traditions. This, you 



will 



