Selected quad for the lemma: water_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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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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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