X 
PREFACE. 
itfelf hath been well nigh reduced tofuch a State a few Centuries ago by 
jailing iTUo a fuperjlitious Lethargy^ negleBing all farther Improve- 
ments of Knoijdledge^ and defpifing Reafon^ Nature and the evidence of 
oenje. ^ 
Every one ought to attain to as high a degree of natural Knowledge as 
be cany for a deep Knowledge m Nature has deteBed many falfe Pre- 
tenders to Infpirationy Prophefy, and the likoy while the Ignorant in 
Nature and her Laws have been deluded by the meanefi and lowed 
Pretendersy fuch as diabolical P offeffionsy fantafiical ApparitionSy Dreamsy 
good and bady OmenSy and the like. 
As Arts have been brought by gradual Steps from one degree of Per- 
feBion to another y by joining the Knowledge of paji Limes left ut in the 
tVrttings of thof that are gone beforey with the Difcoveries and Experience 
oj the prefent Times -y fo even the knowledge of Nature itfelf hath been 
nmltiplyd by the various degrees of Conceptiony and different Powers of 
Penetration that have been given by God through paJl Ages to Mankindy 
which have been handed down through the Records of Time to us. Without 
this Knowledge of other Men joined to our owUy our Knowledge would be 
Like that of favage People who live together in fmall Tribes or Families y 
and have nothing but meer mother Wit and pure natural CapacitL 
chiefly derived from the SenfeSy to direB themy they not knowing what any 
oj their Anceflors faid or thought before them for want of CharaBers to ■ 
exprffs Words ; fo that each Mans Knowledge is his owUy or has little 
affiflanee from others : I do not mean that while we are fearching into 
Natures Works, we floould negleB the curious Arts and Inventions of 
Men ; for by being well skilfd in Arts we are enabled the better to make 
Difcoveries in Nature. Befldes, a fine Art loft may never be recover'd 
but Naturey tho at prefent unknown by fearching, may at one time or 
other be found, becaufe fhe always endureth and continueth the fame. Art 
and Nature, like two Sifters, fhould always walk hand in hand, that fo 
they may reciprocally aid and affft each other. 
He who goes into foreign Parts, in order to improve himfelf in natural 
Knowledge or other Sciences, floould firft acquire all that may be learned 
m bis onnn Country^ left he p^ould expofe himfelf^ as many have done^ by 
going abroad, telling us at their return many fuch things as were already 
