( p2 ) 
might the better flievv, what is to be expe^ed from thcfe riew Under- 
takers ; aiid what ino-ved |hetn: to. enter ppoji a way ,of Inq uiry dif- 
ferent from that, on which the former have proceeded. ' 
The Second.con&ikioithe NArr&tiire it felf v in which the Hiaerh» 
out of the Regiftm and ^earnais of the Rojd Society, (which he hath 
been permitted to periife j relateth the firfl Occaficns of their Meetings, 
the Encouragement, a<jd Patremge they have reeci vtd ; their: Fatnil 
their Statutes, the whole Order and ^<r/&r/wf of their Djign the ^«4' 
tifcatiom oithek Mmhm &ie Large^ef oi then Numben, tlieir 
weekly Affinsblies 5 the of their Irqnirj ; their wrfy oi Regi- 
firing ), and t\\mUmverf4Correfimde»cji together with a particu- 
lar Enumeraiieri of the principal SubjeBs, about which they have beeh 
employed fince they were made a Rojal C(>rperati«»,and this to filcnce 
thatimportanate demand, W^4» they have dtm all this while / And 
here the Hiftoriari hopes, that all reafenMe men will find fati-^faftion 
when they (hall confider, -F/V/?,That,befides that this Secietf hath paft 
through the firft difficulties of their Charter and Moiel^ and overcome 
all oppofitions,which ufe to arife againft the beginnings of great things i 
their Aim, and the nature of their Df/%», and the Extent of their task 
do admit of no violent and hafty difpatch. Next, That, though their 
work hath not beenexpofed to open view,yet their ie^^i/fm are ftored 
with a good number of Pmie»lars they have taken pains abotit s "As, 
1. M^eries and Direaiens, they have givenabroad. 
2. Frepefals and Rec0mwefni4tim, they hA\e made. 
3. they have received. 
i^. Experiments, they have tried. 
^.obfervaiioKSj they have taken. 
6. Isaroments, they have invented or advanced. 
7, ^*fmV(, that have been propofed. 
S. Difcearjes, they have written or publifhed. 
9.Wftories of Nature, and Arts, and Works, they have colleiSed. 
The Parttculars upon which ffeaJs are more numerous,and of great- 
er momentand variety,than perhaps Detradors and Cavillers imagine 
or expea : they exceed indeed the number of 700 j of which the Ex- 
ferments and objervattens both together amount to above 3 50 j the 
Relat>ons,to about i^O', the Series, Direaions .Reccmmendationi.znd 
Fropoj4's, to above Zo^ihe infiruments, to about 6bithe ffifleries of Na- 
ture md Art to above 5 o ; arid the Thetiries and Difcoarfes to as many. 
f 0 thcfe he adds an Account of the Library and Repfitory , they have 
obtain'd 
