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A54605
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The advice of W.P. to Mr. Samuel Hartlib for the advancement of some particular parts of learning
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Petty, William, Sir, 1623-1687.; Hartlib, Samuel, d. 1662.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing P1914; ESTC R5444
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17,747
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31
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by perusing al Books and taking notice of all Mechanicall Inventions 3. In this perusall all the Reall or Experimentall Learning may be sifted and collected out of the said Books 4. There must be appointed able Readers of all such Books with certaine and well limited Directions what to collect out of them 5. Every Book must be so read by two severall Persons apart to prevent mistakes and failings from the said Directions 6. The Directions for Reading must be such as the Readers observing them may exactly agree in their Collections 7. Out of all these Bookes one Booke or great Worke may be made though consisting of many Volumes 8. The most Artificiall Indices Tables or other Helps for the ready finding remembring and well understanding all things contained in these Bookes must be contrived and put in practice Having thus taken the height or pitch wherunto al Arts and Sciences whatsoever are already come and observed where they now stick the ablest Men in every respective Faculty must be set apart to drive them on further with sufficient maintenance and encouragement for the same Whereunto it is requisite that two or three one under another be employed about each Faculty to the end that some of them dying or any other wise failing there may never want men acquainted with the whole Designe and able to carry it on with the help of others to be admitted under them And that at least yearly Accompts be taken of those mens endeavours and rewards be proportioned to them accordingly And now we shall think of whetting our tooles and preparing sharp Instruments for this hard work by delivering our thoughts concerning Education which are 1. That there be instituted Ergastula Literaria Literarywork-houses where Children may be taught as well to doe something towards their living as to Read and Write That the businesse of Education be not as now committed to the worst and unworthiest of men but that it be seriously studied and practised by the best and abler persons That all Children of above seven yeares old may be presented to this kind of Education none being to be excluded by reason of the poverty and unability of their Parents for hereby it hath come to passe that many are now holding the Plough which might have beene made fit to steere the State Wherfore let such poor children be imployed on works wherby they may earne their living equall to their strength and understanding and such as they may performe as well as elder and abler persons viz. attending Engines c. And if they cannot get their whole living and their Parents can contribute nothing at all to make it up let them stay somewhat the longer in the Work-house That since few children have need of reading before they know or can be acquainted with the Things they read of or of writing before their thoughts are worth the recording or they are able to put them into any forme which we call inditing much lesse of learning languages when there bee Books enough for their present use in their owne mother Tongue our opinion is that those Things being withall somewhat above their capacity as being to be attained by Judgement which is weakest in children be deferred awhile and others more needfull for them such as are in the order of Nature before those afore mentioned and are attainable by the help of Memory which is either most strong or unpreoccupied in children be studied before them We wish therefore that the Educands be taught to observe and remember all sensible Objects and Actions whether they be Naturall or Artificiall which the Educators must upon all occasions expound unto them That they use such Exercises whether in work or for recreation as tend to the health agility and strength of their bodies That they be taught to Read by much more compendious meanes then are in common use which is a thing certainly very easie and feasible That they be not onely taught to Write according to our Common Way but also to Write Swiftly and in Reall Characters as likewise the dextrous use of the Instruments for Writing many Copies of the same thing at once That the Artificiall Memory be thought upon and if the precepts thereof be not too farre above Childrens Capacities We conceive it not improper for them to learn that also That in no case the Art of Drawing and designing be omitted to what course of Life soever those children are to be applied since the use thereof for expressing the conceptions of the mind seemes at least to us to be little inferiour to that of Writing and in many cases performeth what by words is impossible That the Elements of Arithmetick and Geometry be by all studied being not onely of great and frequent use in all humane Affaires but also sure guides and helps to Reason and especiall Remedies for a volatile and unstedy mind That effectuall Courses be taken to try the Abilities of the Bodies and Minds of Children the strength of their Memory inclination of their Affections either to Vice or Vertue and to which of them in particular and withall to alter what is bad in them and increase and improve what is good applying all whether good or bad to the least Inconveniencie and most Advantage That such as shall have need to learne Forraine Languages the use whereof would be much lessened were the Reall and Common Characters brought into practise may be taught them by incomparably more easie wayes then are now usuall That no ignoble unnecessary or condemned Part of Learning be taught in those houses of Education so that if any man shall vainely fall upon them he himselfe onely may be blamed That such as have any naturall ability and fitnesse to Musick be Encouraged and Instructed therein That all Children though of the highest ranke be taught some gentile Manufacture in their minority such as are Turning of curious Figures Making Mathematicall Instruments Dialls and how to use them in Astronomicall Observations Making Watches and other Trochilick motions Limning and Painting on Glasse or in Oyle Colours Graving Etching Carving Embossing and Molding in sundry matters The Lapidaries Art of knowing cutting and setting Iewells Grinding of Glasses Dioptricall and Catoptricall Botanicks and Gardening Making Musicall Instruments Navarchy and making Modells for buildings and rigging of Ships Architecture and making Modells for houses The Confectioners Perfumers or Diers Arts Chymistry refining Metalls and Counterfeiting Iewells Anatomy making Sceletons and excarnating bowells Making Mariners Compasses Globes and other Magnetick Devices And all for these Reasons 1. They shall be lesse subject to be cousened by Artificers 2. They will become more industrious in generall 3. They will certainly bring to passe most excellent Works being as Gentlemen ambitious to excell ordinarie Work-men 4. They being able to make Experiments themselves may doe it with lesse charge and more care then others will doe it for them 5. The Resp. Artium will be much advanced when such as are rich and able are also
THE ADVICE OF W. P. TO Mr. SAMVEL HARTLIB FOR The Advancement of some particular Parts of LEARNING LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1647. There is invented an Instrument of small Bulke and price easily made and very durable whereby any Man even at the first sight and handling may write two resembling Copies of the same thing at once as serviceably and as fast allowing two lines upon each page for setting the Instruments as by the ordinary way Of what Nature or in what Character or what Matter soever as Paper Parchment a Book c. the said writing ought to be upon made The Vse hereof will be very great to Lawyers and Scriveners for making of Indentures and all kinde of Counter-parts to Merchants Intelligencers Registers Secretaries Clarks c. for copying of Letters Accompts Invoices Entring of Warrants and other Records To Schollers for Transcribing of rare Manuscripts and preserving Originals from falsification and other injuries of time It lesseneth the Labour of Examination serveth to discover forgeries and surreptitious Copies and to the transacting of all businesses of writing as with ease and speed so with much privacy also To his honoured friend Master SAMUEL HARTLIB SIR I Have had many flying thoughts concerning the Advancement of Reall Learning in generall but particularly of the Education of Youth Mathematicks Mechanicks Physick and concerning the History of Art and Nature with some more serious ones concerning your owne most excellent advices for an Office of Publick addresse And indeed they were but flying thoughts for seeing what vast summes were requisite to carry on those designes and how unwilling or unable men generally were to contribute towards them I thought it but labour lost to fix my mind much upon them But it having pleased God unexpectedly to make me the Inventor of the Art of Double Writing daily and hourly usefull to all sorts of Persons in all places of the world and that to perpetuity I conceived that if there were understanding enough in Men to be sensible of their own good and Thankfulnesse or honesty enough to reward the Contrivers of it such Meanes might be raised out of this Art as might at least set the aforementioned Designs on float and make them ready to set saile toward the haven of perfection upon every opportunity of stronger gales And thereupon I reassumed my Meditations which I here give you desiring you and your Ingenious Freinds to remeditate upon them and correct them but withall to think of the best Course how to improve my Invention to such advantage as may if possible make us capable of enjoying more then bare Ideas of that Happinesse which the atchievements of our designs promiseth I shall desire you to shew them unto no more then needs you must since they can please only those few that are Reall Friends to the Designe of Realities not those who are tickled only with Rhetoricall Prefaces Transitions Epilogues charmed with fine Allusions and Metaphors all which I do not condemn wherewith as I had no abilities to adorne my discourse so I wanted all other requisites thereunto Having written it as Your self must beare me witnesse at your own Importunity in the midst of my cares and indeavours to perfect mine Invention and which is work in the midst of my hard and perhaps unprofitable labour to prevent the ingratitude and backwardnesse of men to reward him who shall earnestly labour to expresse himselfe London the 8. Ianuary 1647 8 Yours and your designes most affectionate servant W. P. THE Advice For Advancement of some particular Parts of Learning TO give an exact Definition or nice Division of Learning or of the Advancement thereof we shall not undertake it being already so accurately done by the great Lord Verulam Intending onely to shew where our owne shoe pincheth us or to point at some pieces of Knowledge the improvement wherof as we at least conceive would make much to the â—enerall good and comfort of all mankind and withall to deliver our own opinion by what meanes they may be raised some one degree neerer to perfection But before we can meddle with this great Work we must first think of getting Labourers by appointing some Generall Rande vouz where all men either able or willing to take up armes against the many difficulties thereof may finde entertainment That is to say We must recommend the Institution of an Office of common Addresse according to the projection of Master Hartlib that painfull and great instrutment of this Designe whereby the wants and desires of all may bee made knowne unto all where men may know what is already done in the buisinesse of Learning What is at present in doing and what is intended to be done to the end that by such a generall communication of designes and mutuall assistance The wits and endevours of the world may no longer be as so many scattered coales or firebrands which for want of union are soone quenched whereas being but layed together they would have yeeled a comfortable light and heat For me thinkes the present condition of men is like a field where a battle hath beene lately fought where we may see many leggs and armes and eyes lying here and there which for want of a union and a soule to quicken and enliven them are good for nothing but to feed Ravens and infect the aire So we see many Wittes and Ingenuities lying scattered up and downe the world whereof some are now labouring to doe what is already done and pusling themselves to reinvent what is already invented others we see quite stuck fast in difficulties for want of a few Directions which some other man might he be met withall both could and would most easily give him againe one man wants a small summe of mony to carry on some designe that requires it and there is perhaps another who hath twice as much ready to bestow on the same designe but these two having no Meanes ever to heare the one of the other the good Work intended and desired by both parties doth utterly perish and come to nothing But this we passe over sleightly though very fundamentall to our businesse because the Master-builder thereof himself hath done it so solidly Having by this means procured work-men and what else is necessary to the Worke that which we would have them to labour in is How to finde out such Arts as are yet undiscovered How to learne what is already known by more compendious and facile wayes and to apply it to more and those more noble uses how to work in men an higher esteeme of Learning so as to give occasion encouragement and opportunity to more Men to apply themselves to its Advancement The next thing then to be done will be First to see what is well and sufficiently done already exploding whatsoever is nice contentious and meery phantasticall All which must in some measure be suppressed and brought into disgrace and contempt with all men 2. This survey may be made