TO THE READER. 



45 



heroes and demi-gods^ for his patrociny and protection. There you will 

 see the numerous congratulations of the most learned foreigners, celebra- 

 ting the happiness of our institution ; and that whilst other nations are 

 still benighted under the dusky cloud, such a refulgent beam should give 

 day to this blessed isle : And, certainly, it is not to be supposed that all 

 these learned persons, of so many and divers interests as well as countries, 

 should speak and write thus out of flattery, much less out of ignorance, 

 being men of the most refined universal knowledge, as well as ingenuity ; 

 but I should never end were I to pursue this fruitful topic. 



I have but one word more to add to conciliate the favour and esteem 

 of our own Universities to an assembly of gentlemen, who, from them, 

 acknowledge to have derived all their abilities for these laudable under- 

 takings : Whatever is shining in them of most Christian, moral, and other- 

 wise conspicuous, they confess as derived from that source and fountain, 

 to which, on all occasions, they are not only ready to pay the tribute 

 and obsequiousness of humble servants, but of sons and dutiful alumni. 

 There is nothing- verily which they more desire than a fair and mutual 

 correspondence between so near relations, and that they may be per- 

 petually flourishing and fruitful in bringing forth, as they still do, supplies 

 to Church and State in all its great capacities*. Finally, that they would 

 regard the Royal Society as a colony of their own planting, and augur 

 its success : And if, in these labours and arduous attempts, several inven- 

 tions of present use and service to mankind (either detecting errors, 

 illustrating and asserting truths, or propagating knowledge in natural 

 things, and the visible works of God,) have been discovered ; as they 

 envy not the communicating them to the world, so should they be 



* Since this Epistle was first written and published, the University of Oxford has insti- 

 tuted and erected a Society for the promoting of Natural and Experimental Knowledge in 

 concert with the Royal Society, with which they keep a mutual correspondence. This I 

 mention, for that some malevolents had so far endeavoured to possess divers Members of 

 the University, as if the Society designed nothing less than the undermining of that and 

 other illustrious academies, and which indeed so far prevailed, as to breed a real jealousy 

 for some considerable time ; but as this was never in the thoughts of the Society, which 

 had ever the Universities in the greatest veneration, so the innocency and usefulness of its 

 institution has at length disabused them, vindicated their proceedings, dissipated all sur- 

 mises, and, in fine, produced an ingenuous, friendly, and candid union and correspondence 

 between them. 



G 



