I have discovered many grofs errors, which are not to be forgiven his very afhes, if by chance any of them are left. For whereas we are affured, he defigned his work for a compleat body of all knowledge, human, divine, political, and mechanic, it is manifeft, he hath wholly neglected fome, and been very imperfect in the reft. For, first of all, as eminent a cabalift as his disciples would represent him, his account of the opus magnum is extremely poor and deficient; he seems to have read but very fuperficially either Sendivogus, Behmen, or Anthropofophia Theomagica. He is also quite mistaken about the fphæra pyroplaftica, a neglect not to be atoned for; and, if the reader will admit fo fevere a cenfure, vix crederem autorem hunc unquam audiviffe ignis vocem. His failings are not less prominent in feveral parts of the mechanics. For, having read his writings with the utmost application ufual among modern Homerus omnes res humanas poematis complexus eft. Xenoph. in conviv. Vaughan, as appears by the anfwer to it written by the learned Dr. Henry Moor; it is a piece of the most unintelligible fuftian, that perhaps was ever published in any language. R 2 A treatife written about fifty years ago, by a Welsh gentleman of Cambridge, his name as I remember, was wits, wits, I could never yet discover the leaft direction about the structure of that useful inftrument, a save-all. For want of which, if the moderns had not lent their affiftance, we might yet have wandered in the dark. But I have ftill behind a fault far more notorious to tax the author with; I mean, his grofs ignorance in the common laws of this realm, and in the doctrine, as well as difcipline of the church of England. A defect indeed for which both he and all the antients stand most justly cenfured by my worthy and ingenious friend, Mr. Wotton, batchelor of divinity, in his incomparable treatise of antient and mcdern learning; a book never to be fufficiently valued, whether we confider the happy turns and flowings of the author's wit, the great usefulness of his fublime difcoveries upon the fubject of flies and spittle, or the laborious eloquence of his ftyle. And I cannot forbear doing that author the juftice of my public acknowledgements, for the great helps and liftings I had out of d Mr. Wotton (to whom our author never gives any quarter) in his comparison of antient and modern learning numbers divinity, law, &c. among thofe parts of knowledge, wherein we excel the antients. his incomparable piece, while I was penning this treatise. But, befides these omiffions in Homer already mentioned, the curious reader will alfo obferve feveral defects in that author's writings, for which he is not altogether fo accountable. For whereas every branch of knowledge has received fuch wonderful acquirements fince his age, efpecially within these last three years, or thereabouts; it is almoft impoffible, he could be fo very perfect in modern difcoveries, as his advocates pretend. We freely acknowledge him to be the inventor of the compass, of gun-powder, and the circulation of the blood: but, I challenge any of his admirers to fhew me, in all his writings, a compleat account of the spleen; does he not alfo leave us wholly to feek in the art of political wagering? What can be more defective and unfatisfactory than his long differtation upon tea? And as to his method of falivation without mercury, fo much celebrated of late, it is, to my own knowledge and experience, a thing very little to be relied on. It was to supply such momentous defects, R 3 fects, that I have been prevailed on after long follicitation to take pen in hand; and I dare venture to promise, the judicious reader fhall find nothing neglected here, that can be of use upon any emergency of life. I am confident to have included and exhaufted all, that human imagination can rife or fall to. Particularly, I recommend to the perufal of the learned certain difcoveries, that are wholly untouched by others; whereof I fhall only mention,among a great many more, my new help for fmatterers, or the art of being deep-learned, and fhallow-read. A curious invention about mouse-traps. An univerfal rule of reason, or every man his own carver; together with a most useful engine for catching of owls, All which the judicious reader will find largely treated on in the several parts of this difcourfe. I hold myself obliged to give as much light as is poffible into the beauties and excellencies of what I am writing, because it is become the fashion and humour most applauded among the first authors of this polite and learned age, when they would correct the ill-nature of critical, or in form form the ignorance of courteous readers. Befides there have been feveral famous pieces lately published both in verfe and profe; wherein, if the writers had not been pleased, out of their great humanity and affection to the public, to give us a nice detail of the fublime, and the admirable they contain, it is a thoufand to one, whether we fhould ever have difcovered one grain of either. For my own particular, I cannot deny, that whatever I have faid upon this occafion, had been more proper in a preface, and more agreeable to the mode, which ufually directs it thither. But I here think fit to lay hold on that great and honourable privilege of being the laft writer; I claim an abfolute authority in right, as the frefbeft modern, which gives me a defpotic power over all authors before me. In the ftrength of which title, I do utterly disapprove and declare against that pernicious cuftom, of making the preface a bill of fare to the book. For I have always looked upon it as a high point of indifcretion in monster-mongers, and other retailers of frange fights, to hang out a fair large picture over the door, drawn R 4 after |