and hath thereby out-done the largest excesses of Poetry For his sake therefore and those others that are of this more than hyperbolical Faith I add the SECOND Part of my proposed Method though what I have said already upon the First is I judge more than sufficient for that purpose And yet I think it not impertinent to subjoyn those other Considerations both because they will further discover the unreasonable vanity of the doating Spirits that oppose all generous Endeavours for the advance and improvement of Knowledge and which may signifie more will excite and encourage Hopes of Modern Attempts and Hope is the fuel of Activity and Endeavour I descend to demonstrate then by palpable and undeniable Instances That we have Advantages above Aristotle and which is much more above all elder Times for mutual Communications and impartments of our Notices Observations Experiments and Performances for the increase of Science My Instances are THREE PRINTING the COMPASS and the ROYAL SOCIETY For the FIRST PRINTING It was according to Polydore Vergil the Invention of Iohn Cuthenberg of Mentz in Germany though others give the honour to one Fust of the same City and some to Laurentius a Burger of Haerlem But whoever was the Author this is agreed That this excellent Art was first practiced about the year 1440. and was utterly unknown iâ— elder Times at least in all the parts of thâ— World that are on this side the Kingdom oâ— China which they say had it more early but it signifies not to our purpose Now by reason of the Ancients want of this Invention Copies of excellent things could not be so much dispersed nor so well preserv'd either from the Corruptions of Timâ—â— or Design The Charge of Books was very great forgeries frequent and mistakes oâ— Transcribers numerous They were quickly swept away out of those few Libraries in which they were by Fire and Violence oâ— spoiled by Dust and Rottenness And in thâ— absence of this Art 't was easie enough foâ— one Aristotle to destroy the most considerable Remains of the Ancients that the power of his great Scholar put into his hands which 't is credibly reported of him thaâ— he did to procure more Fame for his own Performances as also to conceal his thefts and injurious dealings with those venerable Sages whom he seems to take a great delight to contradict and expose as I have elsewhere proved But now by this excellent Invention the Knowledge that is lodged in Books is put beyond the danger of such Corruptions Forgeries or any fatal inconvenience We communicate upon easie â—terms at the remotest distance converse with the Wisemen that went before us and seâ—â—rely convey down our Conceptions to the Ages that shall follow So that by this means Knowledge is advantageously spread and improved especially since the Assistance modern Ingenuity hath brought us in that other admirable Invention 2. The COMPASS How defective the Art of Navigation was in elder Times when they Sailed by the observation of the Stars is easie to be imagin'd For in dark weather when their Pleiades Helice and Cynosura were hidden from them by the intervening Clouds the Mariâ—ner was at a loss for his Guide and exposed to the casual conduct of the Winds and Tides For which reason the Ancients seldom or never durst venture into the Ocean but steer'd along within sight of the safer Shore So that the Commerce and Communications of those Days were very narrow Their famed Travels in comparison were but domestick and a whole World was to them unknown But it hath been the happy priviledge of later Days to find the way to apply the wonderful Vertues of the Loadstone to Navigation and by the direction of the Compass we securely commit our selves tâ— the immense Ocean and find our path iâ— the vastest Wilderness of Waters So thaâ— Commerce and Traffique is infinitely improved the other half of the Globe disclosed and that on this side the great Sea better understood The Religions Laws Customs and all the Rarities and Varieties of Art and Nature which any the most distant Climâ— knows and enjoys are laid open and made common and thereby the History of Nature is wonderfully inlarged and knowledge is both propagated and improved Who it was that first discovered this excellent Mystery is not certainly known â— But one Flavius Goia of Amalphis in the Kingdom of Naples is said to be the Author and to have found this incomparable Rarity about 300 years ago 'T is pity that one of the greatest Benefactors to mankind that ever was should lie hid in so neglected an obscurity when the great Troublers of the World who have vex'd it by the Wars of the Hand and of the Brain have so dear and so precious a Memory For my part I think there is more acknowledgment due to the name of this obscure Fellow that hath scarce any left than to a thousand Alexanders and Caesars or to ten times the number of Aristotles And he really did more for the increase of Knowledge and advantage of the World by this one Experiment than the numerous subtile Disputers that have lived ever since the erection of the School of talking And methinks it may not be improper for me here to take notice of that other great German Invention that useth to be mentioned in the Company viz. That of GVNPOWDER and ARTILLERY which hath done its Service also for the help and propagation of Knowledge as you will perceive when you shall consider that by the assistance of these terrible Engins of Death the great Western Indies were presently subdued which likely had not been so easily effected by the ancient and ordinary Methods of War 'T was this Thunder and Lightning and the invisible Instruments of Ruine that destroyed the Courage of those numerous and hardy People took away the hearts of the strongest Resisters and made them an easie prey to the Conquering Invaders And now by the gaining that mighty Continent and the numerous fruitful Isles beyond the Atlantick we have obtained a larger Field of Nature and have thereby an advantage for more Phaenomena and more helps both for Knowledge and for Life which 't is very like that future Ages will make better use of to such purposes than those hitherto have done and that Science also may at last travel into those parts and inrich Peru with a more precious Treasure than that of its golden Mines is not improbable And so these Engines of Destruction in a sense too are Instruments of Knowledge Of the first Author of this Experiment we know no more but that he was a German Monke who lighted on it chance when he was making some Chymical Tryals with Nitre near about the time of the Invention of the Compass but his Name and other Circumstances are lost Now whoever considers with the Noble Verulam how much the state of things in the World hath been altered and advanced by these THREE EXPERIMENTS alone will conceive great hopes of Modern
Advancements Of these I have given some Instances in the more remarkable Particulars For I intend not a full and accurate History of all the late Improvements of Science but so much as may serve my aim of confuting the fond Saying of my Antagonist and exciting of Philosophical Endeavours In which I confess I had a principal eye upon the ROYAL SOCIETY and the Noble Purposes of that Illustrious Assembly which I look upon as the great ferment of useful and generous Knowledge and have said enough I think to justifie that Apprehension in the following Sheetsâ— And because some pious men are afraid of an Institution they have heard but imperfectly of and are jealous of what they have not had opportunities to understand I have therefore given a succinct Account of the Reason Nature and Designs of that Establishment for the information of such as have not met with their Excellent HISTORY Besides which I think fit to add here That WE of the CLERGIE have no reason to apprehend danger from that Constitution since so many Pious Learned and Excellent Persons of our Order are Members of that Body And for the prevention of those panick causeless Terrours I shall take the boldness here to name some of those Venerable and Worthy Ecclesiasticks I find therefore in their Catalogue The Most Reverend the Lords Archbishops of CANTERBURIE and YORK The Right Reverend the Lords Bishops of ELY LONDON ROCHESTER SARUM WINTON and those other Reverend Doctors Dr. Iohn Wilkins Dean of RIPPON Dr. Edward Cotton Archdeacon of CORNWALL Dr. RALPH BATHURST President of Trin. Coll. OXON Dr. Iohn Pearson Margaret Professour of CAMBRIDGE Dr. Iohn Wallis Professor of Geometry in OXFORD Dr. William Holder Dr. Henry More Dr. Iohn Pell and I reserve for your nearer notice an excellent Person of your Neighbourhood and Number Dr. Iohn Beale who in an Age that usually cools and sinks as to the more active Designs doth yet retain the vigour and vivacity of sprightly youth with the judgement of the ripest years and is unwearied in the noblest Activities and most generous Prosecutions And now I hope that there is none of you guilty of so great an immodesty and irreverence as to judge those Designs to have an evil Aspect upon Religion which are subscribed and promoted by so many great and grave Divines of such known Piety and Iudgment And the mention of those Celebrated Names may serve to remove another groundless suspicion which some have entertained viz. That the Universities are undermined by this new Philosophick Society For whoever phancieth or suggests that casts a black Character upon the sagacity and faithfulness of those Reverend Men who all have been Eminent Members of one or other of those Schools of Learning and most of them do still retain a Relation to those ancient and venerable Bodies But to supersede further Discourse about this here I owe some things else to my self which is to answer the Objection of my opposing the great Name of ARISTOTLE Concerning it I have said Some things in this Book and more in others For the present therefore I shall content my self to suggest That I am very ready to give chearful Acknowledgements to his Rhetorick History of Animals and Mechanicks and could wish that these were more studied by his devoted Admirers But for the notional and disputing parts of his Philosophy it hath deeply troubled me when I have considered how much they have taken up that Time and those Endeavours which should have been imployed in surveying the Works of GOD that magnifie and discover their Author from which only the true Philosophy is to be obtained And the zeal I have for the Glory of the Almighty discovered in his Creatures hath inspired me with some smartness and severity against those Heathen Notions which have so unhappily diverted Learned men from the study of Gods GREAT BOOK UNIVERSAL NATURE and consequently robb'd Him of that Honour and those Acclamations that are due to him for those admirable Results of his Wisdom and Goodness And now 't is high time to draw up to the last Requests I have to You which are That you would please to do me that right deliberately to weigh my following accounts which though I have designed to express with all imaginable perspicuity and clearness yet I cannot expect that they should presently enter into Minds that most ordinarily converse with another sort of Matters upon an hasty and careless perusal I say therefore I appeal to the reflecting and considerate thoughts of attentive and judicious men But for the hair-brain'd half-witted Censurers that only tell the Leaves of Books and pass Definitive Sentences at a venture I except against their Verdicts and contemn them You see upon the whole that I have dealt openly with my Antagonist and have said all to himself and the Publick and more than ever I did on any private occasion Though I believe that he that hath endeavoured skulkingly and by envious Arts to traduce me would be ashamed to own that in the face of the light and mine which he hath reported in corners Whether he intends to answer my Relations and Reflections or sit down in a grave silence I cannot tell If he doth the former I look that he should shew either that there are no such Instances of Improvement in Knowledge since Aristotle as I have reckoned or That they are no Advantage for the Increase of SCIENCE If he proves either of these his Return will be an Answer and I shall admire his Wit in an eternal respect and silence But if he offers any thing else for a Reply I appeal to you whether it be like to be to purpose or whether I shall have any need to trouble my self to rejoyn to an impertinence But on the other hand if his Sageness resolve to sit down and gravely to say nothing in Return which 't is like his Wisdom will counsel him to be best I expect from such an Ingenuity as his that he should fall again to his little arts of Calumny and deal with my Book as he hath with my Person assault it behind with dirt and hard-names and confute it with a Pish or a great word or two among his private Admirers This no doubt will be the easiest way of Answering and those that have got great Reputation by Artifice Chance Uapouring or the Ignorance of those they converse with have commonly the prudence not to put it to the hazard of publick Tryals I do not say this is the Case of the Reverend Disputer let those that know judge However 't is my Antagonist being of long standing in these Parts is like to have the wind here and whether his Reply be publique or not I reckon he will blow the DUST upon me but if I have the SUN as I hope I shall have no reason to regret his Advantage The Truth is I desire to conflict in an open Champaigne where there may be less danger of guile treachery and ambush But
I perceive my Adversary is for fighting in Dirty-lanes and among the Cole-pits like the Irish among their Boggs Let him enjoy the Empire of Learning in those Places and whatever Triumphs over me he pleaseth If YOU Sirs and the intelligent World favour the Iustice of my Cause which without disparagement to yours I cannot doubt I have enough and shall be content to permit the Disputer to clap his Wings and crow at home till he be ashamed and weary of his fond and causeless Orations These are the things I thought fit to premise to my Discourse to which now I remit your Eyes without adding more but the Respect and Service of Reverend Sirs Your humble Honourer and Servant J. G. Modern Improvements OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE To a Friend CHAP. I. The INTRODUCTION SIR THE Inquiry of your last was very obliging as it signified an affectionate concernment for me And in testimony of my resentment of the Kindness I shall be large and particular in my Return which I intend as full as my Affairs will permit because I owe you some Account of the Modern way of Philosophy and the ROYAL Colledge of Philosophers And I do not yet know but that I may have an occasion of making these things publick Not thaâ— I am so fond to think my little contrasts fit subject for general Entertainment nor am I so tender and over-weening as to make it a business to complain in Print of my private Injuries But I foresee the Relation I am about will afford me fit and ample opportunity to discourse things which perhaps you may think worth your labour to consider And what I have to say tends either to the direct recommendation of the ways of Vseful Knowledge or to the detecting the immorality weakness and vanity of the Spirit that opposeth it Briefly then as to your Inquiry about the Conference I had with the Grabe Person you mention You may please to know That not long since I lighted into the Company of that Reverend Man who I suppose you have heard hath a Reputation for Learning among his Neighbours and is accounted a Philosopher in the Peripatetick way I was glad of an opportunity of his Acquaintance and approach'd him with that respect which I judged due to a person of that Gravity and of whom I had heard advantageously He had been speaking before I came about Aristotle and his Philosophy And after our first Civilities were over he renewed the Discourse and applied it all to me I confess I was not willing to begin an Acquaintance in a Dispute in which I foresaw there might be danger of heat and animosity This I intimated and would have declined the occasion because though I love modest and temperate Discoursing yet I am a profess'd Enemy to all captious and resolv'd Oppositions which for the most part run into wild Rambles and end in Quarrels But the Gentleman it seems had warm'd himself by the concernment he took in the Discourse and was forward to prosecute the Argument in vindication and praise of Beloved Aristotle Which Carriage though I thought somewhat too young for the Gravity of that Appearance and more becoming the pertness of a Sophister than the Sagess of a Reverend Divine yet I abstain'd from any displeasing Reflection and should quietly have permitted him to have satisfi'd himself in his Venerations of that Name without interruption or disturbance For I count it not civil to trouble any One in his Worship or to profess to his face a contempt of another Mans GODS But the Grave Gentleman could not be content only to celebrate and admire his Aristotle but was pleased to take an occasion to make Comparisons and to diminish the ROYAL SOCIETY This Passage I confess I thought not handsom And methinks the Reverence we owe to the ROYAL FOVNDER and PATRON of that Establishment and the Respect that is due to PRINCES PRIVY COVNSELLORS and PRELATES to the most Learned Men of all Sorts and Professions Mathematicians Chymists Physicians Anatomists Antiquaries and Philosophers to the PRIME NOBILITY and so many of the Learned and Ingenious amongst the GENTRY I say I thought that the Regard which is a debt to such Persons as make up that Honourable Assembly had been enough to procure it Civil usage among all that had but an indifferent proportion of Modesty and Breeding And if there were nothing else to oblige men to Respectful Discourse of this Generous Company I should think the Consideration of their Noble Aims which no doubt are some of the Greatest most August and most Hopeful that ever were should be sufficient to obtain them at least good words from all that are capable of understanding their Catholick intendments and prosecutions And these Sir are not the little Projects of serving a Sect or propagating an Opinion of spinning out a subtile Notion into a fine thred or forming a plausible System of new Speculations but they are Designs of making Knowledge Practical and accommodating Mankind in things of Vniversal Benefit by searching into the Creatures of God as they are in his World and not criticizing upon the Images of them as they lye in that which the Phansies of Men have contriv'd This my Reverend Assailant either did not know or did not consider But supposing that this Society had a design against adored Aristotle or not so great an apprehension of him as he had been wont to instil into his Pupils thought fit to bring it under his Corrections and at his disrespectful Discourse of that Assembly I felt my self concerned I therefore took occasion to speak from somewhat he had newly said which was to this purpose That Aristotle had more Advantages for Knowledge than the ROYAL SOCIETY or all the present Age had or could have and for this strong Reason because he did totam peragrare Asiam This Sir you perceive was said in haste when Consideration was not at home And I was much surprised to hear an Assertion from one that had not lived in a Cell which were scarce excusable in a Recluse who had seen or known nothing of the World but the Antique Venerable Images of a Religious House And you will be sensible of the injustice and incogitancy of this saying and conceive better things of the later Ages when you reflect and think how many Arts Instruments Observations Experiments Inventions and Improvements have been disclosed to the World since the days of Aristotle which are vast Advantages for Knowledge and all Noble and Vseful Inquiries But before I come to instance in these Particulars I must premise That the ROYAL SOCIETY and those of that Genius are very ready to do right to the Learned Ancients by acknowledging their Wit and all the useful Theories and helps we have from them but they are not willing that those however venerable Sages should have an absolute Empire over the Reasons of Mankind Nor do they think That all the Riches of Nature were discovered to some few particular Men of former
Times and that there is nothing left for the benefit and gratification of after-Inquirers But They believe There is an inexhaustible variety of Treasure which Providence hath lodged in Things that to the Worlds end will afford fresh Discoveries and suffice to reward the ingenious Industry and Researches of those that look into the Works of God and go down to see his wonders in the deep This no doubt the modesty and justice of the Ancients themselves would have confess'd But besides this the Modern Experimenters think That the Philosophers of elder Times though their Wits were excellent yet the way they took was not like to bring much advantage to Knowledge or any of the Vses of humane Life being for the most part that of Notion and Dispute which still runs round in a Labyrinth of Talk but advanceth nothing And the unfruitfulness of those Methods of Science which in so many Centuries never brought the World so much practical beneficial Knowledge as would help towards the Cure of a Cut finger is a palpable Argument That they were fundamental Mistakes and that the Way was not right For as my Lord Bacon observes well Philosophy as well as Faith must be shewn by its Works And if the Morderns cannot shew more of the Works of their Philosophy in six years than the Aristoteleans can produce of theirs in more than thrice so many hundred let them be loaded with all that Contempt which is usually the reward of vain and unprofitable Projectors But now That this Procedure hath effected more for the information and advantage of Mankind than all the Ages of Notion the Records of the Royal Society alone are a sufficient Evidence as the World will see when they shall think fit to unfold their Treasure I say then the Mordern Philosophers arrogate nothing to their own Wit above that of the Ancients but by the reason of the thing and material sensible Events they find they have an advantage by their Way And a lame Child that slowly treads the right Path will at last arrive to his Journeys end while the swift Footman that runs about in a Wood wil lose himself in his wandrings CHAP. II. The Ways of improving Useful Knowledge proposed The Advantages this Age hath from the great advancements of Chymistry and Anatomy AND having said this I come to encourage your hopes in the present Philosophical Endeavours and to discourse more largely what I could but suggest to the Reverend Disputer And here I am to represent in as many material Particulars as I can now call into my thoughts the Advantages for Vseful Knowledge which the later Ages have beyond those of the days of Aristotle and remoter Antiquity And in order to this I consider That there are Two chief ways whereby Knowledge may be advanced viz. 1. By inlarging the HISTORY of Things And 2. By improving INTERCOVRSE and COMMVNICATIONS The HISTORY of Nature is to be augmented either by an investigation of the Springs of Natural Motions or fuller Accounts of the grosser and more palpable Phaenomena For the searching out the beginnings and depths of Things and discovering the intrigues of remoter Nature there are THREE remarkable ARTS and multitudes of excellent INSTRVMENTS which are great Advantages to these later Ages but were either not at all known or but imperfectly by Aristotle and the Ancients The ARTS in which I instance are CHYMISTRY ANATOMY and the MATHEMATICKS The INSTRVMENTS such as the MICROSCOPE TELESCOPE THERMOMETER BAROMETER and the AIR-PVMP Some of which were first Invented all of them exceedingly Improved by the ROYAL SOCIETY TO begin with the Consideration of the ARTS mentioned I observe That these were very little cultivated or used in Aristotles Times or in those following ones in which his Philosophy did most obtain For the FIRST CHYMISTRY it hath indeed a pretence to the great Hermes for its Author how truly I will not dispute From him 't is said to 〈◊〉 come to the Aegyptians and from â—em to the Arabians Among these it was â—â—â—nitely mingled with vanity and superstiâ—â—ous devices but it was not at all in use â—ith Aristotle and his Sectators Nor â—oth it appear that the Grecians or the â—â—sputing Ages were conversant in these â—seful and luciferous Processes by which Nature is unwound and resolv'd into the minute Rudiments of its Composition and by the violence of those Artful Fires it is made confess those latent parts which upon less provocation it would not disclose And now as we cannot understand the frame of a Watch without taking it into pieces so neither can Nature be well known without a resolution of it into its beginnings which certainly may be best of all done by Chymical Methods And in those vexatious Analyses of Things wonderful discoveries are made of their Natures and Experiments are found out which are not only full of pleasant surprise and information but of valuable use especially in the Practice of Physick For It directs Medicines less loathsome and far more vigorous and freeth the Spirits and purer parts from the clogging and noxious appendices of grosser matter which not only hinder and disable the Operation but leave hurtful dregs 〈◊〉 the Body behind them I confess Sir thaâ— among the Aegyptians and Arabians thâ—â— Paracelsians and some other Moderns Chymistry was very phantastick unintelligible and delusive and the boasts vanity and canting of those Spagyrists brought 〈◊〉 scandal upon the Art and exposed it to suspicion and contempt but its late Cultivatours and particularly the ROYAL SOCIETY have resin'd it from its dross and made it honest sober and intelligible an excellent Interpreter to Philosophy and help to common Life For they have laid aside the Chrysopoietick the delusory Designs and vain Transmutations the Rosie-crucian Vapours Magical Charms and superstitious Suggestions and form'd it into an Instrument to know the depths and efficacies of Nature This Sir is no small advantage that we have above the old Philosophers of the National way And we have another 2. In the Study Vse and vast Improvements of ANATOMY which we find as needful to be known among us as 't is wonderful 't was known so little among the Ancients whom a fond Superstition deterr'd from Dissections For the Anatomizing the Bodies of Men was counted barâ—arous and inhumane in elder Times And 〈◊〉 observe from a Learned Man of our own That the Romans held it unlawful to look on the Entrails And Tertullian severely cenâ—ures an inquisitive Physician of his time for this practice saying That he hated Man that he might know him Yea one of the Popes I take it 't was Boniface 8. threatens to Excommunicate those that should do any thing of this then-abominable nature And Democritus was fain to excuse his Dissection of Beasts even to the great Hippocrates Nor does it appear by any thing extant in the Writings of Galen that that other Father of Physicians ever made any Anatomy of humane Bodies Thus shie and unacquainted was Antiquity with this excellent
futilities of that National way But not to take too large a compass this is certain That Geometry is a most useful and proper help in the affairs of Philophy and Life 'T is almost as clear from those former intimations that Aristotle was not much enclined that way and we know that his late Sectators have very seldome applied themselves to Geometrical Disquisitions The Result of which is We must expect the Advantages of this Science from the declining of his and their Empire and I need not say expect it they are both in present view And if after this you require accounts of the Improvements Geometry hath received since the foundation of that Tyranny by the Man of STAGYRA I shall offer you the best I have and though I am conscious that they will be scant and defective yet I hope sufficient for my present purpose I note then from the celebrated Vossius That Euclide was the first that brought Geometry into a Method and more accurately demonstrated those Principles which before were scattered among the Greeks and Aegyptians and not so cogently or carefully proved And Proclus reckons this Famous man as the Compiler and Demonstrator not as the Inventor of the Elements and two of these Books viz. 14. 15. are ascribed to Apollonius Pergaeus who was his nearest Successor in Fame for Mathematical Abilities This Geometrician improved the Science by four Books of Conicks publish'd of old and three more have been lately in the year 1661. translated out of an Arabick Manuscript in the Duke of Tuscany's Library and are now abroad This Manuscript Iacob Golius procured out of the East Besides which this Magnus Geometra as he was called illustrated Euclide by his Learned Commentary upon him But Archimedes of Syracuse was a Person of the greatest renown for Geometrical and Mechanical Performances concerning which Polybius Valerius Plutarch Livy and others have recorded prodigious things This great Wit carried Geometry from general and idle Speculation to the use and benefit of Mankind whereas before him it was an ancient and perverse Opinion That this Knowledge ought not to be brought down to vulgar Service but kept up in abstractive Contemplations upon which score Archytas and Eudoxus those great Geometricians before Euclide were scared from the Mechanical and Organical Methods to the great hindrance of beneficial Improvements in that way But the excellent Syracusian understood that this Science is not debased but promoted and advanced by such Accommodations and evinc'd the usefulness and excellency of Geometry in his admirable Paradox proposed before King Hieron Datis viribus datum pondus tollere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Mathematician flourish'd 160 years after the time of Aristotle who hath the name of the most ancient that writ in Mechanicks though that Book of his be not mentioned either by Archimedes Athenaeus Hero or Pappus Mechanical Authors and Cardan and Patricius affirm that Work to be none of Aristotle's Whos 's ever it was the Performance hath praise from the Learned as explaining the general Causes of Mechanical Geometry But Archimedes was more practical and particular And though Plutarch in the Life of Marcellus affirms he writ nothing yet the contrary is abundantly proved by Gerard Vossius who hath shewn that the Books extant under his Name that contain so many great Maxims of Mechanicks are genuine and both Strabo and Pappus mention them as his The Design of Archimedes of combining Mechanism and Geometrick Theory was after happily promoted by Hero the Elder of Alexandria who invented those ingenuous Automata that move by Air and Wyres concerning which he writ a Book that was Translated by Fredericus Commandinus as also he did another De Machinis Bellicis by which he well improved Geometrick Mechanicks And Pappus particularly celebrates his exactness in solving the Deliaick Problem De Cubo duplicando acknowledging that he took most of his own Accounts about that matter from that exquisite Man Next him I mention Theodosius of Tripoli who very much improved Geometry by his three Books De Figur a Sphaerica which afforded great assistance to Ptolomy Pappus Proclus and Theon in their Mathematical Endeavours Menelaus also who lived in Trajan's time contributed very much to the perfecting the Doctrine of Sphaericks as Vitellio well knew who was famous for those things which he borrowed from that Author The Performances also of Ctesibius who lived in the time of Ptolomaeus Physcon are much celebrated by Pliny He invented many things in Hydraulicks and according to Athenaeus he was the first Contriver of Musical Organs These were Mechanical but Geminus Rhodius the Master of Proclus Lycius applied Logick to Geometry out of particular Elements abstracting Vniversals He demonstrated That there are only Three similar Species of all Lines viz. Right Circular and Cylindrical And Perseus following his steps enrich'd Geometry with the Invention of three kinds of Crooked Lines the Parabole Hyperbole and Elipsis for which he express'd his extatick joy as Thales Pythagoras and Archimedes did upon like occasions in a Sacrifice to the Gods But to be briefer Pappus improved the Sphoericks Theon more methodically digested the Elements of Euclide Serenus Antinsensis discover'd that the Section of a right Cylindre is the same with the Elipsis of a right Cone Copernicus improved the Doctrine of Triangles Ramus corrected and supplied Euclide where his Principles were defective Maurolicus writ first of Secant Lines Clavius much illustrated and promoted the Doctrine of Tangents Secants Triangles Right Lines and Sphaericks besides what he did in his Comment upon Euclide I might mention with These the worthy Performances of Cusanus Pitiscus Snellius Ambrosius Rhodius Kepler Franciscus à Schoten and others who contributed very eminently to the perfections and advancements of Geometry and were late men But none have done in it like the excellent Persons whom I reserve for my last mention The chief are Vieta Des Cartes and Dr. Wallis CHAP. IV. Improvements in Geometry by Des Cartes Vieta and Dr. Wallis IN order to my giving an account of some of their Performances I must premise That no great things can be done in Geometry without the Analytical Method And though some Learned Men conceive the Ancients were acquainted with this way of resolving Problems yet their skill in it went no higher than the Quadratick Order of Aequations which They demonstrated by Circles and Right Lines which They call'd Loca plana but they were able to do nothing in the Cubical Aequations or any of the Superiour Orders though they endeavour'd to cover their defects in this Art by recourse ad Locos Solidos viz. Conick Sections and Lineares as they called them such as the Helix Conchoeides and those of like nature But those tortous and curved Lines being described Mechanically by Compound Motions the Problems resolv'd by them are performed Organically by the hand and eye not Geometrically This was the State of the Analytick Art as long as Learning flourish'd in Greece when That was subdued
of Nature with which latter Ages have assisted Philosophical Inquiries And in these I see I have struck farther than I was aware into the account of those things also which lead us to the grosser Phaenomena and my Remarques about Geography are all of that nature However I shall not alter my Method but after I have discours'd the INSTRVMENTS I mentioned for Useful Knowledge I shall consider somewhat of NATVRAL HISTORY which reports the Appearances and is fundamentally necessary to all the Designs of Science As for the INSTRVMENTS then that are next before I come to give you the Notes I intend concerning them I observe That The Philosophy that must signifie either for Light or Vse must not be the work of the Mind turned in upon it self and only conversing with its own Idaeas but It must be raised from the Observations and Applications of Sense and take its Accounts from Things as they are in the sensible World The Illustrious Lord Bacon hath noted this as the chief cause of the unprofitableness of the former Methods of knowledge viz. That they were but the Exercises of the Mind making Conclusions and spinning out Notions from its own native store from which way of proceeding nothing but Dispute and Air could be expected 'T was the fault that Great Man found in the Ancients That they flew presently to general Propositions without staying for a due information from Particulars and so gradually advancing to Axioms Whereas the Knowledge from which any thing is to be hoped must be laid in Sense and raised not only from some few of its ordinary Informations but Instances must be aggregated compared and critically inspected and examined singly and in consort In order to which Performances our Senses must be aided for of themselves they are too narrow for the vastness of things and too short for deep Researches They make us very defective and unaccurate Reports and many times very deceitful and fallacious ones I say therefore they must be assisted with Instruments that may strengthen and rectisie their Operations And in these we have mighty advantages over Aristotle and the Ancients so that much greater things may well be expected from our Philosophy than could ever have been performed by theirs though we should grant them all the superiority of Wit and Vnderstanding their fondest Admirers would ascribe to those Sages For a weak hand can move more weight by the help of Springs Wheels Leavers and other Mechanick Powers than the strongest could do without them And that we really have these Advantages must be shewn by Instance I mentioned Five that are considerable to that purpose which I took notice of among many others and they were the TELESCOPE MICROSCOPE THERMOMETER BAROMETER and AIR-PVMP I. The TELESCOPE is the most excellent Invention that ever was for assisting the Eye in remote Discoveries The distance of the Heavens is so vast that our unaided Senses can give us but extreamly imperfect Informations of that Upper World And the Speculations that Antiquity hath raised upon them have for the most part been very mean and very false But these excellent Glasses bring the Stars nearer to us and acquaint us better with the immense Territories of Light They give us more Phaenomena and truer Accounts disperse the shadows and vain Images of the twilight of naked sense and make us a clearer and larger prospect By these Advantages they inlarge our Thoughts and shew us a more magnificent Representation of the Vniverse So that by them the Heavens are made more amply to declare the Glory of God and we are help'd to nobler and better-grounded Theories I have mentioned in my Account of the Advance of Astronomy some of the most remarkable Discoveries that have been made by these Tubes which exceedingly transcend all the Imaginations of Elder Times and by the further improvement of them other things may be disclosed as much beyond all ours And the present Philosophers are so far from desiring that Posterity should sit down contented with their Discoveries and Hypotheses that they are continually sollicitous for the gaining more helps to themselves and those that shall follow for a further progress into the knowledge of the Phaenomena and more certain judgments upon them So that these Glasses are exceedingly bettered since their Invention by Metius and application to the Heavens by Galilaeo and several ingenious Members of the ROYAL SOCIETY are now busie about improving them to a greater height What success and informations we may expect from the Advancements of this Instrument it would perhaps appear Romantick and ridiculous to say As no doubt to have talk'd of the spots in the Sun and vast inequalities in the surface of the Moon and those other Telescopical certainties before the Invention of that Glass would have been thought phantastick and absurd I dare not therefore mention our greatest hopes but this I adventure That 't is not unlikely but Posterity may by those Tubes when they are brought to higher degrees of perfection find a sure way to determine those mighty Questions Whether the Earth move or the Planets are inhabited And who knoweth which way the Conclusions may fall And 't is probable enough that another thing will at last be found out in which this lower World is more immediately concerned by Telescopical Observations which is the most desired Invention of Longitudes upon which must needs ensue yet greater Improvements of Navigation and perhaps the Discovery of the North-west Passage and the yet unknown South Whatever may be thought of these Expectations by Vulgar and narrow Minds whose Theories and Hopes are confin'd by their Senses those that consider that one Experiment discovered to us the vast America will not despair But 't is time to pass from this to a second Modern Aid whereby our Sight is assisted which is II. The MICROSCOPE The Secrets of Nature are not in the greater Masses but in those little Threds and Springs which are too subtile for the grosness of our unhelp'd Senses and by this Instrument our eyes are assisted to look into the minutes and subtilties of things to discern the otherwise invisible Schematisms and Structures of Bodies and have an advantage for the finding out of Original Motions To perceive the exactness and curiosity of Nature in all its Composures And from thence take sensible Evidence of the Art and Wisdom that is in its Contrivance To disclose the variety of living Creatures that are shut up from our bare Senses and open a kind of other World unto us which its littleness kept unknown This Instrument hath been exceedingly improved of late even to the magnifying of Objects a thousand times and many useful Theories have been found and explicated by the notices it hath afforded as appears by the Microscopical Writings of those ingenious Mechanicks Members of the ROYAL SOCIETY Dr. Power and Mr. Hooke But III. The THERMOMETER was another Instrument I mentioned which discovers all the small unperceivable variations in the heat or
â—dvantage of useful Knowledge and â—â—ough he hath not made an absolute Proâ—ise of those Discourses to the Publique â—et he is known to have such and they are with probability expected since he is too generous to detain from the capable and inâ—â—uisitive those his excellent Discoveries which tend to the common Benefit And thus I have said what may suffice for general Information about the ROYAL SOCIETY and the hopes we may justly conceive of this Constitution And in what I have discoursed I have not so much declined from the proof of my undertaking which was to shew the advantage that thâ— latter Age hath for the promotion and iâ—â— crease of Knowledge above those of foâ—â— mer Times For by describing the Reasonâ— Nature and some of the Effects of thâ— Establishment I have not obscurely suggesteâ— the Helps that the World hath and maâ— expect from Them for those Grand and Câ— tholick Purposes and 't is easie to see in thâ— very frame of this Assembly that they arâ— fitted with Opportunities to amass togetheâ— all the considerable Notices Observations and Experiments that are scattered up anâ— down in the wide World and so to makâ— a Bank of all the useful Knowledge that is among men For either by their whole Boâ— dy or some or other of their particulâ—â— Members they hold a Learned Corresponâ— dence with the greatest Virtuosi of all thâ— known universe and have several of their own Fellows abroad in Forreign Parts by reason of whose Communications they know most of the valuable Rarities and Phaenomenâ— observed by the curious in Nature and all considerable Attempts and Performances of Art Ingenuity and Experiment To which consideration if you add the inquisitiveness of their Genius and the way of their Proâ—edure by particular and cautious Observaâ—ion the coldness and shiness of their Asâ—ent and the numbers of judicious men that â—urefully examine their Reports I say If â—hese Particulars be weighed it will appear â—o the unprejudiced That the World had â—ever such an advantage for the accumulaâ—ing a Treasure of substantial knowledge as 〈◊〉 hath by this Constitution for single Inquisitors can receive but scant and narrow â—nformations either from their own Expeâ—ience or Converses and those they have â—e frequently very imperfect or very mistaâ—en There is often either vanity or credulity â—norance or design in their Relations which â—herefore are many times false in the main â—atter and oftner in the circumstance So â—â—at the Histories of Nature we have hitherâ—â— had have been but an heap and amassmen â—f Truth and Falshood vulgar Tales and Roâ—antick Accounts and 't is not in the powâ—â— of particular unassociated Endeavours to â—â—fford us better But now the frame of â—his Society suggests excellent ground to â—ope from them sincere and universal Reâ—â—â—â—tions and the best grounded and most â—seful Collection of the affairs of Art and Nature that ever yet was extant And â—s they have peculiar Priviledges for the gathering the Materials of knowledge 〈◊〉 They have the same for the impartment aâ— diffusion of them And by this time I hoâ—â— you will acknowledge That I have maâ—â— good also what I undertook in THIS 〈◊〉 last and Great Particular CHAP. XV. The Absurdity of making Comparisâ— between the Advantages Aristotâ—â— had for Knowledge and those later Ages THus I have shewed in plain and mâ—terial Instances the vanity and weaâ—ness of the Disputer's Affirmation aâ—â— belief That Aristotle had more Advantagâ— for Knowledge than all the later ages Anâ— so I have done with his Proposition But hâ— Reason also is to be considered and thâ— was Aristotle had these Advantages above â— the World because he did Totam peâ—agrare Asiam How wisely said anâ— concluded this was will appear after â— have taken notice that his Reason is defective both in what it affirms and in what it would infer For the first 't is evident that Aristotle and the Ancients did not know all ASIA for that part which lay beyond the River was in a manner a Terra Incognita unto them so that they knew scarce any thing of the Indies that lie on the other side of Ganges little or nothing of the vast Kingdom of China nothing of Iapan or the numerous Oriental Islands besides the defects in the ancient Geography noted above and these made a great if not the best part of Asia of which though Aristotle might have heard yet we have no shadow of Reason to believe he had any Information from thence And then I consider 2. That the Account he had from the best survey'd Regions were but from Hunters Fowlers Fishermen and such kind of Inquisitors who were like enough to make vain and mistaken Reports and he was fain to depend upon the credit of their Relations and therefore his History of Animals contains many things that are frivolous and many that are palpably false To which I add 3. The Observation of my Lord Bacon That though Aristotle made some use of those Experiments and Observation she had from those Informers yet it was after he had concluded and decreed For he did not use and imploy Experiments for the erecting of his Theories but having arbitrarily pitch'd his Theories his manner was to force Experience to suffragate and yield countenance to his precarious Propositions And on this account the Great man saith he was less excusable than the Schoolmen who altogether quitted and neglected the way of particular Industry and Experiment Thus then Aristotle neither knew all Asia nor had certain Relations of that part thereof of which he had the best Informations nor did he use those he had as he ought which were enough to bring the Disputers Reason to nothing But I consider further That though these things had been otherwise and as much for the interest of his Affirmation as he could wish yet 2. His Inference must fail since the latter Ages have a much larger World than Aristotle's Asia We have the America and the many New Lands that are discovered by Modern Navigators we have larger and more perfect Geography even of the old World infinitely more acquaintance and better correspondence in all the parts of the Vniverse by our general Traffique than the Ancients whose Commerce was narrow and knowledge of remote Parts consisted but in hearsays and doubtful Rumors We have besides New Heavens as well as a New Earth a larger and truer prospect of the World above us We have travell'd those upper Regions by the help of our Tubes and made Discoveries more becoming the Wisdom and Magnificence of our Creatour and more agreeable to the appearances of things than the arbitrary phansies and conjectures of Aristotle and his Schools We have a greater world of Arts Instruments and Observations as in all Particulars my Discourse hath made good And what are Aristotle's peragrations of Asia to all these To the great Western Indies to the full and clearer knowledge of the Ancient Lands to those nobler Accounts we have of the
Heavens and universal Nature to our vast Improvements of Chymistry Anatomy Arithmetick Geometry Astronomy Geography Opticks Natural History Navigation and all things else of benefit and instruction I say what are the gleanings of a few mercenary Hunters Fowlers and Fishermen over one part of Asia to these Advantages And what are the Reports of a few ordinary Fellows and the Tryals of a single person to the learned Inquiries and Endeavours of many sagacious inquisitive Ages and the performances of a numerous Company of deep wary diligent and eagle-ey'd Philosophers who have the help of those Observations and the addition of an infinite number more Upon these accounts Sir the Disputer you see will need a great deal of Logick to make any thing of his Proposition or his Reason both of which are very lame and I know not where he can find a prop for their feebleness I shall not therefore imploy more force to overthrow such sickly Reasonings that have not strength enough to bear their own weight but out of pity to those infirmities shall let them go without further castigations And I hope you have not so understood me as if the aim of what I have said hitherto was only to disprove this Disputer which were a poor project and would signifie but very little But my Design is by representing the advantages and hopefulness of the Modern way to kindle an ardour in you towards the generous Experimental Researches to vindicate Philosophy from the imputation of being notional and unprofitable and to keep you from adhering to that which is so and hath been the occasion of the scandal And as for those that yet stick there I have some things to observe concerning the Reasons of their Devotion to that aiery disputative Philosophy and their Enmity to the Practical CHAP. XVI The Reasons of some Mens Superstious Adherence to the Notional way and of the Disputer that gave occasion to this Discourse I Consider then That easie youth in its first addresses to Learning is perfectly passive to the Discipline and Instructions of its Teachers whose Documents are promiscuously received with ready submission of Understandings that implicitely depend on their Authority We suck in the first Rudiments as we do the common Air facili haustu as my Lord Bacon expresseth it without discrimination or election of which indeed our tender and unexercised minds are not capable And I confess 't is necessary we should do so nor were there any hurt in this innocent easiness did not most men all their lives worship the first thing they saw in the morning of their days and ever after obstinately adhere to those unexamined Receptions But this is the mischief we infinitely believe every thing when we are Children and most examine little when they are Men but settle in their first impressions without giving themselves the trouble to consider and review them And these prejudices by custom and long acquaintance with our Souls get a mighty interest and shut them against every thing that is of a different colour from those Images of Education This is a general fault and infirmity of humane Nature and from hence it comes to pass that the tutour'd Youth sides easily into the belief of the first Principles of Philosophy which they are taught and are confirm'd in them by their Exercises and Disputes and Books and Converses By these their Vnderstandings which before were White-Paper are dyed and deeply tinctured by the colour they have imbibed And these infusions insensibly grow as 't were into the very substance of the Mind and are upon all occasions appealed to as its unprejudiced unsophisticate Dictates So that having spent some time in learning and trimming those Notions the most divert to Business or other Studies without troubling themselves with any more Philosophical pursuits but being satisfied with those Notices which their first Education lodg'd in their Minds they seek no further nor do care to be wiser in those matters than they were in the disputing infancy of their Knowledge All this while no other hurt is done but that men thus are injurious to themselves and hinder their own Improvements But 't is much worse when they fondly fix these as the pillars of Science and would have no body else go further than their laziness or their cares will permit them to travel but rail spightfully at all Endeavours for the advancement of Philosophick Wisdom and will be angry with every one that hath out-grown his Cherry-stones and Rattles speak evil at a venture of things they know not and like Mastives are fiercer for being kept dark These are the great Enemies of the useful experimental Methods of Philosophy They take it ill that any thing should be accounted valuable in which they are uninstructed being loth to learn in an Age wherein they expect to Dictate and the Satyrist hath told them another reason Turpe putant parere minoribus quae Imberbes didicêre senes perdenda fateri I will not say how much of this I take to be the case of our Reverend Disputer only this He imployed his younger Studies upon the Philosophy of Disputation and 't is like gained an ability to out-talk many of his Contemporaries in that way He confirm'd himself in these Notions by instructing others in them and upon these Foundations hath built himself the Reputation of a great Scholar and a Disputant among his Country-Admirers So that you are not to wonder that he is vehemently displeased with the ROYAL SOCIETY and Experimental Philosophers since their Designs take away the honour of his Craft and in this way he is upon the same level with those that are but beginning the thought of which must needs be distasteful to a self-assured and imperous mind And yet because you shall not think that I say any of this out of envy to his Fame I shall do him all the right I can by acknowledging That I take him for a Person that understands the Quiddities and Haecceities the Praecisiones formales and the Objectivae the Homogeneities and Heterogeneities the Catagorematice's and the Syncatagorematice's the Simpliciter's and the secundum Quid's He knows no doubt that First Matter that is neither Quid nor Quale nor Quantum and that wonderful Gremium materiae out of which Forms were educed that were never there He can tell you fine things of the fiery Element under the Moon and the Epicycles of the Stars Can resolve all Questions by the compendious way of Formalitèr Materialitèr Fundamentalitèr and Eminentèr Tell you the difference between Quodam modo and Modo quodam and shew the causes of all things in Sympathy Antipathy Combination of the Elements and Insfluences of the Heavens He sees clearly by his Spectacles That the Milky-way is but a Meteor and Comets only kindled Vapours in spite of the contrary information of the deceitful Telescopes He can no doubt dispute roundly about the composition of Entia rationis and Vniversals the Praedications of Genus and Species
give here and more I have to say in another place And now I had ended your trouble but that upon the cast of my thoughts back I have considered that my main business being the Recommendation and Advancement of the Modern Vseful Knowledge I need make an Apology to the generous Friends of that way and particularly the ROYAL SOCIETY for my Discourse of Them and those their great Designs in a Treatise that contains matter of difference and contest which are so fundamentally contrary to their Spirit and Endeavours and it may perhaps be feared that some will take occasion hence to look on the Neoterick Philosophers as but a new sort of Disputers To which I say That for my publick appearance in a Controversie I have already given such an Account as may I hope satisfie the Candid and Ingenious of the necessity that inforced it and for the apprehension of raising mean and injurious thoughts of the Practical Philosophers by defending them in a Book of Difference I hope it is causeless since I have from first to last represented their Aims and Designs as things very different yea perfectly opposite to that Spirit and Genius and I shall now for a close assure you again That there is nothing tends more to the undermining and supplanting the humour of Disputing than the Experimental and Free Philosophy For this inlargeth the Mind and gives it a prospect of the vastness of things and the imperfections of our Knowledge the Difficulties that are to be incountred in the search of Truth and our liableness to deception the stumbles of Confidence the prejudices of Education the shortness of our Senses the precipitancy of our Vnderstandings and the malign influence of our Affections I say the Free and Real Philosophy makes men deeply sensible of the infirmities of humane Intellect and our manifold hazards of mistaking and so renders them wary and modest diffident of the certainty of their Conceptions and averse to the boldness of peremptory asserting So that the Philosopher thinks much and examines many things separates the Certainties from the Plausibilities that which is presumed from that which is prov'd the Images of Sense Phansie and Education from the Dictates of genuine and impartial Reason Thus he doth before he Assents or Denies and then he takes with him also a Sense of his own Fallibility and Defects and never concludes but upon resolution to alter his mind upon contrary evidence Thus he conceives warily and he speaks with as much caution and reserve in the humble Forms of So I think and In my opinion and Perhaps 't is so with great difference to opposite Perswasion candour to dissenters and calmness in contradictions with readiness and desire to learn and great delight in the Discoveries of Truth and Detections of his own Mistakes When he argues he gives his Reasons without passion and shines without flaming discourses without wrangling and differs without dividing He catcheth not at the Infirmities of his Opposite but lays hold of his Strength and weighs the substance without blowing the dust in his eyes He entertains what he finds reasonable and suspends his judgment when he doth not clearly understand This is the Spirit with which men are inspired by the Philosophy I recommend It makes them so just as to allow that liberty of judgment to others which themselves desire and so prevents all imperious Dictates and Imposings all captious Quarrels and Notional Wars And that this is the Philosophick Genius may be shewn in a grand Instance the ROYAL SOCIETY which is the Great Body of Practical Philosophers In this Assembly though it be made up of all kinds of Dispositions Professions and Opinions yet hath Philosophy so rarely temper'd the Constitution that those that attend there never see the least inclination to any unhandsom opposition or uncivil reflexion no bold obtrusions or confident sayings The forbearing such Rudenesses is indeed a Law of that Society and their Designs and Methods of Inquiry naturally form men into the modest temper and secure them from the danger of the quarrelsome Genius This is palpable evidence of the sweet humour and ingenious Tendencies of the Free Philosophy and I believe 't will be hard to shew such another Example in any so great a Body of differing Inclinations and Apprehensions Thus the Experimental Learning rectifies the grand abuse which the Notional Knowledge hath so long foster'd and promoted to the hinderance of Science the disturbance of the World and the prejudice of the Christian Faith And there is no doubt but as it hath altered and reformed the Genius in matters of natural Research and Inquiry so it will in its progress dispose mens Spirits to more calmness and modesty charity and prudence in the Differences of Religion and even silence Disputes there For the free sensible Knowledge tends to the altering the Crasis of mens minds and so cures the Disease at the root and true Philosophy is a Specifick against Disputes and Divisions Thus I might run out into a large Discourse on this Subject but I have said enough for my present purpose and I doubt too much for your patience and therefore I shut up with the assurance of my being SIR Your faithful Friend and Servant JOS. GLANVâ—ILL ERRATA PAge 26. line 6. for Philophy read Philosophy p. 30. l. 11. for Elipsis r. Ellipsis Id. l. 19. p. 33. l. 18. for adserted r. affected p. 39. l. 5. r. Anaximenes p. 43. l. 16. r. one Id. l. 24. r. Christophorus p. 65. l. 26. r. Vegetables p. 133. l. 24. r. 2 Cor. xii THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. The INTRODUCTION page 1. CHAP. II. The ways of Improving Vseful Knowledge proposed The Advantages this Age hath from the great Advancements of Chymistry and Anatomy p. 9. CHAP. III. Another great Advantage of late Times from the Improvements of Mathematicks particularly of Arithmetick Algebra and Geometry discourst by Instances p. 19. CHAP. IV. Improvements in Geometry by Des Cartes Vieta and Dr. Wallis p. 31. CHAP. V. The late Improvements of Astronomy p. 38. CHAP. VI. Improvements of Opticks and Geography p. 46. CHAP. VII That Useful Knowledge is to be aided by Instruments Modern Instances of such Of the Telescope Microscope and Thermometer p. 51. CHAP. VIII Of the Barometer and Air-Pump and what Advantages we have and may further expect from these Instruments p. 59. CHAP. IX The Credit of Optick-Glasses vindicated against a Disputing Man who is afraid to believe his Eyes against Aristotle p. 65. CHAP. X. Our Advantages for Knowledge from Modern Improvements of Natural History p. 71. CHAP. XI The Advantages of late Ages for spreading and communicating Knowledge Three great Instances of it in Printing the Compass and the Royal Society p. 75. CHAP. XII Of the ROYAL SOCIETY The Reasons of the Institution and their Designs An Answer to the Question What have they done p. 83. CHAP. XIII An Account of what hath beeen done by the Illustrious Mr. Boyle for the promotion of Useful Knowledge p. 92. CHAP. XIV A further Account of what that Gentleman of Honour hath by him not yet publish'd for the Advantage and Improvement of Real Knowledge The Reasons we have to hope great Things from the Royal Society p. 102. CHAP. XV. The Absurdity of making Comparison between the Advantages Aristotle had for Knowledge and those of later Ages p. 110. CHAP. XVI The Reasons of some Mens Superstitious Adherence to the Notional way and of the Disputer that gave occasion to this Discourse p. 115. CHAP. XVII Of the Peripatick Philosophy and Aristotle as he concerns the Universities p. 122. CHAP. XVIII Some things else debated by the Author with the Disputer about the Prophets and the Scriptures The Imagination was ordinarily the immediate Subject of Prophetick Influx p. 128. The CONCLUSION Containing Observations about the Censure of Atheism applied to Philosophical Men and the Author's Apology to the ROYAL SOCIETY and other generous Philosophers p. 137. Books newly Printed for James Collins at the Kings-Head in Westminster Hall ABlow at Modern Sadducism in some Philosophical Considerations about witchcraft To which is added The Relation of the Fam'd Disturbance by the Drummer in the House of Mr. Iohn Mompesson With some Reflections on Drollery and Atheism By a Member of the Royal Society 8 o. A Loyal Tear drop'd on the Vault of our late Martyr'd Sovereign in an Anniversary Sermon on the Day of his Murther 4 o. Two Discourses of Toleration By Dr. Perrinchief In Answer to two Discourses of Mr. Corbet's 4 o. A Discourse of Subterraneal Treasure 12 o. The Practice of Serious Godliness Affectionately recommended and directed in some Religious Counsels of a Pious Mother to her dear Daughter 12 o. The Triumphs of Rome over Despised Protestancy 8 o. A Sermon preached before the Peers in the Abby-Church at Westminster Octob. 10. 1666. being the Fast-day for the late Fire By Seth Lord Bishop of Exon. 4 o. Ex Aed Lamb. Maii 2. 1668.