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A61158
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The history of the Royal-Society of London for the improving of natural knowledge by Tho. Sprat.
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Sprat, Thomas, 1635-1713.; Cowley, Abraham, 1618-1667. To the Royal Society.
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1667
(1667)
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Wing S5032; ESTC R16577
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253,666
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459
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little to be suspected for making men pervers and ungovernable that it is the best praeservative against disobedience One of the principal Causes of this is a misguided Conscience and opposing the pretended Dictates of God against the Commands of the Sovereign This I have already shewn that these labors will moderat and reform by abolishing or restraining the fury of Enthusiasm Another is idle poverty which drives men into fulleness melancholy discontent and at last into resistance of lawful Authority To this Experiments will afford a certain cure they will take away all pretence of idleness by a constant cours of pleasant indeavors they will employ men about profitable Works as well as delightful by the pleasure of their Discoveries they will wear off the roughness and sweeten the humorous peevishness of mind whereby many are sowr'd into Rebellion But the most fruitful Parent of Sedition is Pride and a lofty conceit of mens own wisdom whereby they presently imagine themselves sufficient to direct and censure all the actions of their Governors And here that is true in Civil affairs which I have already quoted out of my Lord Bacon concerning Divine A litle Knowledge is subject to make men headstrong insolent and untractable but a great deal has a quite contrary effect inclining them to be submissive to their Betters and obedient to the Sovereign Power The Science that is acquir'd by Disputation teaches men to cavil well and to find fault with accurate subtilty it gives them a fearless confidence of their own judgments it leads them from contending in sport to oppositions in earnest it makes them believe that every thing is to be handled for and against in the State as well as in the Schools But the unfeign'd and laborious Philosophy gives no countenance to the vain dotages of privat Politicians that bends its Disciples to regard the benefit of mankind and not the disquiet that by the moderation it prescribes to our thoughts about Natural Things will also take away all sharpness and violence about Civil The Work of that is so vast that it cannot be perform'd without the assistance of the Prince It will not therefore undermine his Authority whose aid it implores that prescribes a better way to bestow our time than in contending about litle differences in which both the Conquerors and the Conquer'd have always reason to repent of their success That shews us the difficulty of ord'ring the very motions of senseless and irrational things and therefore how much harder it is to rule the restless minds of men That teaches men humility and acquaints them with their own errors and so removes all overweening haughtiness of mind and swelling imaginations that they are better able to manage Kingdoms than those who possess them This without question is the chief root of all the uneasiness of Subjects to their Princes The World would be better govern'd if so many did not praesume that they are fit to sustain the cares of Government Transgression of the Law is Idolatry The reason of mens contemning all Iurisdiction and Power proceeds from their Idolizing their own Wit They make their own Prudence omnipotent they suppose themselves infallible they set up their own Opinions and worship them But this vain Idolatry will inevitably fall before Experimental Knowledge which as it is an enemy to all manner of fals superstitions so especially to that of mens adoring themselves and their own Fancies I have now at last brought my Reader by a tedious compass to the end of our Journey And here I desire him to look back and to make a reflection on the matters of which I have treated In the first part of my Discours I have alleg'd the Causes by which these Studies were suppress'd in all former Ages which have bin Interest of Sects the violence of Disputations the plausible Arts of Speech the Religious Controversies the Dogmatical Opinions the poverty of the Vndertakers and the want of a continual race of Experimenters In the Second I have shew'd by what steps the Royal Society arose what it has propos'd to attempt what cours it has taken to make its Observations universal and perpetual what assistance has bin afforded it to that purpose and about what particulars it has bin conversant In the Third I have try'd to free it from the false scandals of Ignorance and the praejudices of several ways of life and to prove that its effects will more immediatly refer to our own Country My Reader now beholds an Assembly setled of many eminent men of all Qualities who have ingag'd to bestow their labors on a design so public and so free from all suspicion of mean or private Interest What foundation they have within themselves for defraying the expence of their Trials and Intelligence may be ghess'd by their Number which at this present amounts very neer to Two Hundred as appears by this following Catalogue which I have rang'd Alphabetically The King's Majesty Founder and Patron His Royal Highness the Duke of York His Highness Prince Rupert His Highness Ferdinand Albert Duke of Brunswick and Lunenbourgh The Duke of Albermarle the Earl of Alesbury the Earl of Argill the Lord Ashley the Lord Annesley Mr. Ashmole Sr. Robert Atkins Mr. Austin Mons. Auzout Mr. Awbrey The Duke of Buckingham the Lord George Berkeley the Lord Brereton Mr. Bagnal Mr. Bains Mr. William Balle Mr. Isaac Barrow Dr. George Bate Dr. Bathurst Dr. Beal Mons. Beaufort de Fresars Sr. Iohn Birkinhead Mr. Blunt Mr. Boyl Mr. Brook Dr. Bruce Mons. Bullialdus Mr. Burnet Sr. Edward Byshe The Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Earl of Clarendon Lord Chancellor of England the Earl of Carlile the Earl of Craford and Lindsay the Lord Cavendish the Lord Clifford Mr. Carkess Mr. Carteret Dr. Charleton Sr. Winstone Churchill Sr. Iohn Clayton Sr. Clifford Clifton Mr. George Cock Sr. Richard Corbet Dr. Cotton Dr. Cox Mr. Thomas Cox Mr. Daniel Cox Mr. Creed Mr. Crispe Sr. Iohn Cutler The Marquess of Dorchester the Earl of Devonshire the Earl of Dorset Mons. Vital de Damas Sr. George Ent Mr. Ellise Mr. Iohn Evelyn Sr. Francis Fane Mons. le Febvre Sr. Iohn Finch Mr. Henry Ford Sr. Bernhard Gascoigne Mr. Ioseph Glanvile Dr. Glisson Mr William Godolphin Mr. Graunt The Lord Hatton Mr. Haak Mr. William Hammond Mr. William Harrington Sr. Edward Harley Sr. Robert Harley Mr. Harley Dr. Henshaw Mons. Hevelius Mr. Abraham Hill Mr. Hoar Dr. Holder Mr. Hook Mr. Charles Howard Mons. Huygens Mr. Richard Iones the Earl of Kincardin Sr. Andrew King Mr. Edmund King the Earl of Lindsey the Lord Bishop of London Mr. Lake Sr. Ellis Leighton Mr. Iames Long Sr. Iohn Lowther Mr. Lowther Mons. Hugues de Lyonne The Earl of Manchester Mons. Nicolas Mercator Dr. More Dr. Iasper Needham Dr. Needham Mr. Thomas Neile Mr. William Neile Mr. Nelthorp Mr. Newburgh Sr. Thomas Nott the Earl of Peterburgh Mr. Packer Mr. Samuel Parker Sr. Robert Paston Dr. Iohn Pearson Dr. Pell Sr. William Persall
Sr. Peter Pett Mr. Peter Pett Mons. Petit Sr. William Portman Mr. Francis Potter Mr. Povey Dr. Power Sr. Richard Powle Mr. Pepys The Lord Roberts Lord Privy Seal the Lord Bishop of Rochester Mr. Rolt Mr. Rycaut the Earl of Sandwich the Lord Viscount Stafford the Lord Stermont Mr. Schroter Sr. Iames Shaen Mr. Skippon Sr. Nicholas Slaney Mr. Henry Slingsby Mr. Smethwick Mr. Edward Smith Dr. George Smith Mons. Sorbiere Sr. Robert Southwell Mr. Alexander Stanhop Mr. Thomas Stanley The Earl of Tweedale Sr. Gilbert Talbot Sr. Iohn Talbot Dr. Terne Mr. Thomas Thyn Dr. Thruston Sr. Samuel Tuke Sr. Theodore de Vaux Mr. Vermuyden Mons. Isaac Vossius The Lord Bishop of Winchester Mr. Waller Dr. Wallis Mr. Waterhouse Dr. Whistler Mr. Ioseph Williamson Dr. Willis Mr. Francis Willughby Mr. Wind Mr. Winthorp Mr. Woodford Mr. Matthew Wren Dr. Thomas Wren Sr. Cyril Wyche Sr. Peter Wyche Mr. Wylde the Lord Arch-Bishop of York the Lord Yester The present Council are these that follow William Lord Viscount Brouncker President which Office has bin annually renew'd to him by Election out of the true judgment which the Society has made of his great Abilities in all Natural and especially Mathematical Knowledge Mr. William Aerskin Dr. Peter Ball Dr. Timothy Clerk Mr. Daniel Colwall Dr. Croon the Lord Bishop of Exeter Dr. Ionathan Goddard Mr. Henry Howard of Norfolk Mr. Henshaw Mr. Hoskins Sr. Robert Moray Sr. Anthony Morgan Dr. Merret the Earl of Northampton Sr. Paul Neile Mr. Oldenburgh Sr. VVilliam Petty Doctor Pope Dr. Wilkins Dr. Christopher Wren In this number perhaps there may some be found whose employments will not give them leave to promote these Studies with their own Hands But it being their part to Contribute joyntly towards the Charge and to pass judgment on what others shall try they will appear to be well-nigh as useful as those that Labor to the main end of this Enterprize Whatever Revenew they shall rais by this or any other means they intend thereby to make an Establishment for their Curators To this Office they have already admitted some of their Fellows whom they will employ according to their Studies and sufficience Some shall be sent to travail abroad to search for Discoveries some shall constantly remain in London and represent their Observations to the weekly Assemblies The places of their Residence they have appointed to be two One a College which they design to build in London to serve for their Meetings their Laboratories their Repository their Library and the Lodgings for their Curators The other the College at Chelsey which the King has bestow'd on them where they have a large Inclosure to serve for all Experiments of Gardning and Agriculture and by the neighbourhood of the River they have excellent opportunity of making all Trials that belong to the Water And now as I have spoken of a Society that prefers Works before Words so it becomes their History to endeavor after real fruits and effects I will therefore conclude by recommending again this Vndertaking to the English Nation to the bravest People the most generous Design to the most zealous lovers of Liberty the surest way to randsome the minds of all mankind from Slavery The Privileges that our Kings Dominions enjoy for this end appear to be equal'd by no other Country The men that we have now living to employ are excellently furnish'd with all manner of abilities Their Method is already setled and plac'd out of the reach of calumny or contradiction The work it self indeed is vast and almost incomprehensible when it is consider'd in gross But they have made it feasible and easie by distributing the burden They have shew'n to the World this great secret That Philosophy ought not only to be attended by a select company of refin'd Spirits As they desire that its productions should be vulgar so they also declare that they may be promoted by vulgar hands They exact no extraordinary praeparations of Learning to have sound Senses and Truth is with them a sufficient Qualification Here is enough business for Minds of all sizes And so boundless is the variety of these Studies that here is also enough delight to recompence the Labors of them all from the most ordinary capacities to the highest and most searching Wits Here first they may take a plain view of all particular things their kinds their order their figure their place their motion And even this naked prospect cannot but fill their thoughts with much satisfaction seing it was the first pleasure which the Scripture relates God himself to have taken at the Creation and that not only once but at the end of every days work when he saw all that he had made and approv'd it to be good From this they may proceed to survey the difference of their Composition their Effects the Instruments of their Beings and Lives the Subtilty and Structure the decay and supply of their parts wherein how large is the space of their delight seing the very shape of a Mite and the sting of a Bee appears so prodigious From hence they may go to apply things together to make them work one upon another to imitate their productions to help their defects and with the Noblest duty to assist Nature our common mother in her Operations From hence to all the works of mens hands the divers Artifices of several Ages the various Materials the Improvement of Trades the advancement of Manufactures In which last alone there is to be found so great content that many Mighty Princes of the former and present Times amidst the pleasures of Government which are no doubt the highest in the World have striven to excel in some Manual Art In this spacious field their Observations may wander And in this whatever they shall meet with they may call their own Here they will not only injoy the cold contentment of Learning but that which is far greater of Discovering Many things that have bin hitherto hidden will arise and expose themselves to their view Many Methods of advancing what we have already will come in their way Nay even many of the lost Rarities of Antiquity will be hereby restor'd Of these a great quantity has bin overwhelm'd in the ruines of Time And they will sooner be retreiv'd by our laboring anew in the material Subjects whence they first arose than by our plodding everlastingly on the ancient Writings Their Inventions may be soonest regain'd the same way by which their Medals and Coins have bin found of which the greatest part has bin recover'd not by those who sought for them on purpose in old rubbish but by digging up Foundations to rais new Buildings and by plowing the Ground to sow new Seed This is the Work we propose to be incorag'd which at once regards the discovering of new Secrets and the purifying and repairing all the profitable things of Antiquity The Supply that is needful to finish it will neither impoverish Families nor exhaust a mighty income