Of OXFO%T)^SHniE. 
the Fourthy to whom he made complaint not only of his hard 
ufage, and fequeftration of his Books ^ but charge of his Experi- 
ments^ fome whereof he tells him, efpeciaily concerning burning 
things at any difiance^ would amount at leaft to a thoufand marksj 
Et certe combuflio in omni diflantia conftaret plufquam milk marcof^ 
antequam f^ecula fufficientiafierent ad hoc"^, are his very words. And 
at.another place fpeaking Mathematical Inftruments ^ InHrumenta 
hdicnon funtfa^a apud Latinos^ nec fierent pro ducentisnec trecentis 
libris \ that they would not be made for two or three hundred 
pounds : great fums indeed in Bacons time, yet fcarce bearing pro- 
portion with his greater attempts. 
7. Which made them at laft fo jealous of him^ that notwith- 
ftanding he wrote a w^hole Treatife againft the ufe of Magick\ 
they would fuffer none to come near him^ nor his Bookj to have 
place in their Libraries^ infomuch that it almoft repented him of 
his Inventions which in all probability (not to mention the 
humor of the Age^ very careful of breaking the Heavenly Seal (as 
they called it) which obfcured their wj/y^eriey from the unworthy 
multitude) was the caufe why he left us no particular ?h<^nomena 
of the motions of the Planets^ nor any thing of new fiars ; the 
difclofing fuch fecrets producing many inconveniencies. Which 
alfo was thereafon (as guefs'd by Dr. Dee ") why he never re- 
vealed his fecret of Gun-powder ; not but he efteemed it a confi- 
Atv?ih\Q Invention^ but becaufe he fore-faw the many ez/i/j attend- 
ing it, which thefe latter ages have feverely felt ; fince brought 
into practice by Bertholdu4 Swartz^ of which more fully in its pro- 
per place, 
8. So far then was 'fobn Lipperfein of Zeland^ Metiu6 of Akkr 
mar^ or Galildews himfelf from being the Invent or of the Tele/cope^ 
or firft appljer of it to the Heavens ; that perhaps had not Bacon 
left his Books to pofterity, with fuch pregnant Indications how 
much might be done that way ; he had been as little able to make 
thofe advancements he did ^ zs Paulu^ Middleburgenfis, or Coper- 
nicu^hzd been, to give occafion for the correction of the Julian 
Calendar^ or Tropical Tear^ confiding of 365 days and 6 hours 
(firft contrived, as Bacon informs us, by one F<£Ux and only 
9 InOperU Min.part. ^.cap. 17,. M^.'in'Bib.Bod. ^Ineadem Op- M'm.part.-i,. cap ^ Contra t^ecr^- 
.ptanticosfivedenullitateMag!^. 't V/d, Wft. Antiq.Univerf.Oxon. Lib. \-p\'^^- " Dt. Pses Annot. 
in Erift. ad Farifienfem. " In Lihro Fratris Rog.Bacon. Computus NaturaUum, d!^0}Cap-2 MS. in Bibl 
Coll.VniverfitatM Oxon, 
E e per- 
