§ 1.

APollo was a Gentle­man rather then a Physician, and yet both: I apply to you for coun­sell in my malady, as a Clas­sicall Compeere with Hermes [Page 2] and Asclepius. A whole au­tumne of hypocondraical passions and symptomes are fallen upon me, which is a melancholy disease, and must be handled gently with preparatives; for the humour is sturdy, and violence will rent and destroy all the fa­brick. The cause proceeds from a surfeit: Of reading men and books.

I have read over your O­vids Metamorphosis; at first view I took it to be a heape of sand without cement, all independent; but upon the review, I take it to be the best piece of a School boy that hath well laboured and [Page 3] beaten out only two theams. The first, Ante obitum nemo—which takes up the whole first half part of the infelicity of Agenors Progenie. The lat­ter part,— Nihil est toto quod perstet in orbe. Where the mutations and vicissitude of things are summarily enu­merate.

I have lately read Balzac, where I have been set upon the rack and torture, expe­cting some high conceit, and never more delighted, then when I most failed, admiring with others what I least understood. His Letters to the Cardinall and Bishop seems to be a piece of Davids [Page 4] Psalmes conferd upon man for the most excellent piece; to be a Courtier, is to be something prophane. His love letters to Clorinda sound as if they were translated out of some old Ballads, only lea­ving out the counterpit play, the Ging of Rime. I do passio­nately disaffect that trite ob­solete valedure; your most humble, your tres humble and affectionate Servant, it seemes like the overworne Statute lace of your Groome or Footman, and best befits them. In all his Letters like Lipsius, or Sir Henry Wotton, ever grumbling and com­plaining of his invalitude.

[Page 5]I have read over Heywoods Commentaries upon Merlins, or rather his own propehsies, until Hen. 2. dayes, speaking of Rosamond; so far good and true out of the Copies of Ief­fery of Monmouth and Alanus de Insulis Expositions; all the following is false and faig­ned, yet a good Poet, but no Prophet. And whatsoever is cited by our late Progno­sticks as pretented from Merlin, is forged & suppositi­tious, making new Prophesies to fancie their desires [...] or sound to the present times and histories.

I, wearied with reading books, began to study Men [...] I [Page 6] made a Survay of all the Gentlemens houses, and without a pack of Cards last christmas plaid alone. I see one a general good house-keeper for a very age, he keeps hospitality, payes his servants wages quarterly: But what's the Catastrophe? He dies, his servants have spent their Wages for their Masters honour, and their own reputation; when they be dissolved, an habitual idle­ness brings povertie, miserie. An other runns in debt unto his servants; but at the close weakens, almost ruines his own estate; here are objects of piety; pitie I can not, I am [Page 7] not yet so weak. An other out of an ample soul, and un­bounded liberal Disposition, flies into high exorbitances, vast expenses, but fore-seeing the future inconvenience breaks o [...] suddenly; and this is least to be lamented, for you shall only find some Pan­tomimes and Parasites disshe­vel'd, and in short time all redintegrated.

And who gets the advan­tage? the Country Farmer will tell you, these great house-keepers bring all the beggars in a Region to his parts, [...]and never a one of these beggars, but expect from us some Almes, with [Page 8] continual clamours at our doores. Your private Gen­tleman finds the price of provision raised to a third part, and therein suffers. And for my part, I am as a­fraid to lie in a great Gentle­mans house as in an Inn, be­sides the abatement of my content, for I had rather be observed, then observe the will of an other.

If I look upon the Coun­trieman, he's no other to me then one that's borne some thousand leagues out of Christendome, or rather men moving like trees: and if I breath a gentle gale of a good morrow, they will move and [Page 9] bend with a soft murmur. If I tread upon a doggs taile by chance, he will turne back and bite.

In these lumpish passions I have some pleasing Intervals, I can both laugh and sleepe. I take a merry book into my hand, say it be that Mortuum Caput, old Aristotle his Organon in the bare Latine text. Oh! how I can chink at his pretty Conceits; the burden of all his merry catches is, Necessa­rium enim est. I have an o­ther better remedie to my malady; I take a piece of that Astaticke redundance under mine elbow, Galen de tempera­mentis or his Commentaries [Page 10] upon Hippocrates, Ile under­take he is so tedious, that before you have read one Page and perfectly under­stand it, you shall fall asleep.

For Bishop Andrews and Dr. Donne, I could never con­ceive better of them, then as a voluntarie before a lesson to the Lute, which is abso­lutely the best pleasing to the eare; but after finished abso­lutely forgotten, nothing to be remembred or repeated.

I have lately made an Essay to beat out a Them [...] tending to Papisme from the prmitive Fathers, although I am no Romanist; The same on the contrary for the [Page 11] Protestant. I faithfully sear­ched and copied out with mine own eyes and hands the proofes from the Authors themselves. But the terme of mine intention was this; I'me thoroughly perswaded that none of the first 600. Centurists knew either Papist or Protestant, as questions not at all questioned at those times. And therefore I will neither appeal to them as judges or advocates or wit­nesses: But like unto Pige­on feathers of which the Op­ticks write, the causes of the variegations and diversity of lustres proceeds from the contrary lights, or lookings [Page 12] through Mediums diversly tincted: diversity of educa­tion, and discrepancie of the first principles instilled into each man begets a pertinacy in Paradoxes; In these Con­troversies, the disputant and Latter writers wrest the Fa­thers to their own appetite, making them like a Bell to sound as they please to inter­pret, or like the indented Ianuary tablets which repre­sents two several figures at several stations, like change­able taffeties or Marmoles in a decaying fire, every one phansies his own Phantasms.

Bless me, and far be it from me to derogate from the [Page 13] sanctity integrity and purity of the Ancient Fathers, but that reading of them does conduce to knowledge and holinesse; only I averr that in our quarrels in Religion they were neither sticklers or seconds.

§. 2.

HIstory—The reading of the Jews and Romans is superlative for admiration: and what is to be wondred at in all these except two, one David, and one Augustus? The Country of Iudea a small Canton, some threescore miles over, and sixscore long, an other Yorke-shire [...] And for their Kings they walked all in the sins of their Fathers, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of his father: and I know not how many times repeated in walking in the way of Iero­boam; [Page 15] for he walked all the waies of Ieroboam. The rea­ding of these Kings breeds danger; for they are for the most part writ Historically, not exemplarily for imita­tion. I writ not this to de­rogate from the power and glory of our Saviour; For the first page of St. Matthews Gospel is sufficient for me to give belief to his descent from David, and to believe the ten Ancestors of Ioseph supplied by St. Matthew, ra­ther then if I had them from the Old Testament: or ra­ther upon even terms Saint Luke that hath nothing from the Old Testament untill he [Page 16] come to Nathan the sonne of David, except Salat [...]i [...]l and Zorobabel. From the cratch to the crosse all our Saviours proceedings argued his hu­mility; and therefore no marvell if he was born in so base degenerous a Nation.

For the Romans! what people more base, more sub­dued and enslaved! The first ten or twelve Emperours slain by one another. The other following all strangers; so that they have been sub­ject, I say subdued, by all the barbarous Nations of the world. Trajan a Spaniard, Antonie Pius a Franck, Perti­nax of base ignoble progenie, [Page 17] Severus an Affrican, that great enemy and emulous [...] com­peer to the Roman Empire; Heliogabalus an Assyriu [...], AE [...]i­lian a Mauritane, Probus a Da [...] ­matian, Ala [...]eus the G [...]oth s [...]ck­ed Rome [...] And at present they will rather suffer the Ger­man, the Spaniard, the French, then a native Italian Prince.

Let us examine the Au­thours; Livie with Holinshed and St [...]w I compare: Livie sild up with the names of Consuls and Officers; and the other with Lord Maiors feasts & Sheriffs of London. Let Lip­sius summe up his syllable, and tel you of his Polybiu [...], He­rodotus, [Page 18] Xenophon, his Master Tacitus, and others, and give you his Encomiums and Cri­ticisms: As if all the erudi­tion of the World was confi­ned to that former age: You shall finde as high Polities, as gallant elegant polite phrase, as ever Livie, or Sueton, or any of the ancient writ, if you peruse Mariana for the Spanish History. Rosiers for the French, Cambden and Polidore for the English, Bu­chanan for the Scot; of all I commend an obscure man, Egnatius, a sweet compendi­um of the Empire, with a right elegant Livian phrase.

The Abbot of Vxsperge: I [Page 19] believe to his age (I mean in his time) writ an elaborate & right elegant stile, though now it seems barbarous. The same I say of Mathew of West­minster, Henry [...]f Huntington, Paris the French Herald, Hector Boetius, and Mariana the Scot, with the rest of their age. My reason, being now translated into our modern Languages, they make perfect Language; which in their daies was dissonant to ours: my conclusion, by how much they differed from the com­mon Idiome at those daies, they seemed so much the more polite, terse, and gal­lant.

[Page 20] Baronius and his Contractor Spondanus for Ecclesiastical History are plain handsome good Latine: But Functius and our renowned Mounta­gue, the ligh [...] and honour of our Nation and age, upon the same subject writ with more grace, magnificence and elegancy. Where I note unto you that Mountague to my knowledge had been as voluminous as any (whose pieces I believe are extant still in Manuscripts) did not the disingenuous parsimony of our English people hinder the glory of our Nation in disbursing for the Press.

The Elzevirian Edition in [Page 21] small manuals of all the Kingdomes and Common­weatlths to the number of a­bout forty; Th [...]se are choice pieces selected from all the best Authors: But I can not tell how the Authors will take it, to be thus shu [...]d and cut, mutilated, dismem­bred, and mangled, and thus hashed and made into a [...] Olla-Podrina, I know not how (if living) they would relish it?

Speeds Chronicle is incom­parable for good; A Party­coloured Cento ( A [...]soni [...]s ne­ver writ so good) con [...]ardi­nated from the only wits of those dayes; for the compiler [Page 22] was taken from a Manual trade; amongst the rest the life of Hen. was written by Doctor Barkham, in opposition or rather to suppresse the same life writ­ten by one Mr. Boulton a Ro­man Catholick, who did too much favour the haughty carriage of Thomas of Becket; poor Mr. Draper had a prin­cipal hand in composing and collecting all together.

But I have read and run over for use all domesticke and exotick Authors; I have composed a piece, a worke I dare call it, and greater then all envy own it [...] if the adsti­pulation of Sir Iohn-Beaumont [Page 23] the Father, Mr. Camden and Mr. Selden will take place.

The Contents a Genealogy to the Protoplast Adam, con­tinued without any intermis­sion, for the most part above twenty lines, at the least with seven or six, digested Cro­nologically by Centuries, to decline deceit with the gene­ration and lives of all the Emperors, Kings and Princes of the uuiversal world, inocu­lated into my greater stemm, provided, if any history have made mention of them. This I have writ in Latine called Eugenia. But o miserable Catastrophe! all this was writ­ten for the honour of the late [Page 24] King Charles: And since he hath lost his life and King­domes, I must lose my la­bours. And my deare child (for so I call it) begot in the vigour of my virility, which I ever hoped should have been transanimated into an Amaranthus, shall now I fear be Metamorphosed to the fading flowre cald Filius ante Patrem.

§. 3.

LAnguages—English I speak, Latine I write. In the Hebrew and Greek, I can beat out a theme and a root; Spanish and Italian I under­stand; and what must I doe with these languages? for the former, if I were a publique professor with an annual and life terminal pension, I could chop and change many rea­dings, and perhaps add a­mongst a thousand some new Criticisme. For the latter Provincial languages! will you have me a translator? a thing less then my selfe, and [Page 26] an ingenuous English soul to be a Sectarie to any forraigne Nation; and privately to make use, and assume as mine own invention any of their writings. I scorne to be a Mango and a Plagiarie. The French language I am wilful­ly ignorant of, my reason reserved. Take this excur­sion, the Latine within it self is a very empty and hungry language, borrowes all his words both of arts and offi­ces from the Greek. Great Tiberius might have sav'd its complement of asking leave when he named the words Monopoly, and an Embleme: he might needs have long & [Page 27] tedious Circumquaques to expresse them, which after so many yeers are not yet in­vented. I! the Latines are so ignorant, that they knew neither God, father nor mo­ther: and so uncivilized, that they knew not what a pair of gloves was until they had them from the Greeks. And what beggarly, rude, barbarous Sirnames they ha [...]e for their Gentry; Fabius Piso, Scipio, Caligula, Asinius, Goodman Bean, and Pease, Mr. Cudgell, Giffer small-bre [...]ks, Goodman Ass. And moreover take notice, it seemes the Venetian was bound for the repayment to the Greeke. [Page 28] For the Grand-seignior, and the Greeks altogether use in their terms of War and trade the Italian stampe. The Spa­niards and we, I find, have no interchange of words either by commerce or conquest. I only find these two words common to both, Mucho and Dozeno, much and a dozen.

But, I speak to the whole world, I have a new reperti­on, the Universal Character. Neither will I rake into the great Sealigers urne; his device required more then a Caesar to support it. I cast all up with a few Counters; the labour is already finished; the l [...]arner, let him be but an or­dinary [Page] Abcdarian in his own language, may read and w [...]ite within two hours space any missive letters. This I dare promise for Ten languages, if not more: The China's have a way, so goes report, sure time and traffique had by this transported it, if either true or seasonable: My way I could expresse in lesse then a sheet of paper, which if I should expose to the pub­lique view, would seem no bigger then a ballad, which not being annexed to a grea­ter volume, my name (which I have ever studied in an ho­nest way to preserve, and to transmit to posterity) this [Page 30] name would be lost in so small a trifle.

MVsick—I do not love that one of the Seven liberal Sciences, nay one of the four and none of the Tri­vials, should be made a pro­stitute at every dore with a Fidler. Vocal, when I was young, I knew, but drawn from it, because those con­vents begat good Company, but bad husbandry. Instru­mental and Cathedral, I have ever been wilfully ignorant of, because I have dearly loved them, and if I had [Page 31] learnt them to a perfection, this sa [...]iety might have bred a nauseous distast and furfeit, as in other things, and then I had had nothing to delight in. But, alas! this conceit hath failed me, for now all Church- Musick, my highest terrene content, is abando­ned amongst us.

§. 4.

BEcause Aristotle and Ci­cero were wise in some things, must they be Demi-gods in all? perchance I can not be Aristotle if I would, and what if I could? I wou [...]d [Page 32] not. Thus writes Peter Ramus; and what if I said as much of them, I! and of Peter too?

They talke of Catholick doctrines, which every one is bound to believe. I know no universals but these three. Two notional, that there is a God, And number, one, two three, ten, twenty, &c. which hath the same accompt a­mongst all men in all nations. Numeri una est & eadem apud omnes ubique gentium ratio. You may add to this a pra­ctical universe, your Mum­marium minutum, your Gold­ [...]miths graine (not a barley corne) which is one and same in all nations of the world [Page 33] inviolate, the same stamp, the same example con [...]erd.

The third universal is ap­petite; every perfect and imperfect living creature acquires sustenance to eate and drink. For existential or sensual, I g [...]ant many, that there is a Sun that shineth, that the fire heateth, &c. yet a blind man and the Paraly­tick denies both.

Some talk of the virtue of herbs, others of the influence & effect of stars, Botanology and Astrology: both vaine, both false, because man is prone to become like God to divine and work miracles, are these toyes or rather [Page 34] pretty conceits thrust upon u [...]. The Merchant to vend his druggs deviseth large promises by wonders; And alwayes observe, his last in­vented carries the greatest name for miracle. Your Herbarist to beget a love to the knowledge of plants (which indeed is commen­dable in it selfe,) but would perish, except upheld by the vain promises of Cures [...] The event indeed, which is only by accident or imagination, hath sometimes confirmed the Cure. We might spare an abundance of Mr. Iohnsons and Mr. Parkinsons indivi­dual and accidental additons [Page 35] which are only lusus luxuri­antis Naturae.

Astronomy, a noble science of perpetuals, would be neg­lected. For I could know the day by the rising and set­ting of the Sun, and Noon by the barne door or Church­wall sufficient for use. But hope of Divination by Astro­logy does perfect it to every degree and moment. I am not ignorant in the tryall of both, and therefore speake with more confidence. Pas­sion a me! see where Mr. Doctor comes Pelting and chasing like his Apothecary? Good Mr. Doctor a word, we know your trade well [Page 36] enough; all is bnt fast and loose; Bole and Jalap, or Plantane and Spurge will do all this. Or [...] weele go a little farther and make your whole business Addition and Substraction, both which fa­sting and feasting will per­forme; fasting with a little barley-water, and feasting with your Aromatical spices, Cinnamon, Nutmegs and Cloves, Wassal powder, per­haps a little black Ambar, which are your chiefest in­gredients for cordials. But now reverend Sir, to you that understand without Sarcasmes; If you be Master of Methode, which requires [Page 37] long study, great judgement, a few things will suffice; nei­ther need ye that Emperical trash of numerous simples.

But above all in all, avoid, nay abhor the judgement of the stars; it is abominable false, scandalous to infamy; if you but once erect a Figure for experience, you will hear that word Conjurer, a fowle staine, that all the earth of Owburne will not scowre out.

Now comes in the foure Elements, fire, aire, earth, wa­ter, the Principles of which man and all bodies are com­pounded. M [...]lum! a pox on't there's no such thing. If indeed I were to plant my [Page 38] selfe and build a house, I would take special care of all these, wood and coal for fire, the best earth for corne and meddow: faire rivers or springs to have my water without charge; and a good air for the health of my body. I would have my house not composed, but fitted with these Elements: But to ex­ample these into the four complexions, and tell me of temperamentum ad pondus & ad justitiam, &c. chips chips, pigeon feathers, tricae apinae quisquiliae. I have seen tall men and low, the bright hair and the black, all constituti­ons; wise and foolish, valiant [Page 39] and cowardish, sicke and healthful; And he that tells me the fish in the Sea have fire in their bellies, I had as lieve they told me the Sea burnt. But we must supply you with something in lieu of these; what say you to vir­tus stellaris? cast off your old obsolete words, occult quali­ty, Sympathy and Antipathy, betake you to Synentebechy and Idiosyncresy, these puz­zle you, and make you little the wiser; well, I will give you an accompt of them the next moo [...]e at our Gossip Scepticks house. But if you talk Greek, you will be dis­covered; betake you to the [Page 40] Atlantis language for raisons in nature. Say Iliaster Ar­chaeus, that is the internal star, the syderian spirit, faber occul­tus, and that this sperma pri­mum or ens seminis in a grain or wheat is the 8200 part, proportio anatica. For mine­rals, you may rant it over thus; concerning their gene­ration, that they have the seeds of Petrification, and Sal in Gorgon within themselves, dilating the terrestrial resi­dence by the hands of their own concretive spirit. Then fall upon the Rabbies fifty gates of Intelligence and light. And if you fall upon the extatique Phansie of the [Page 41] Oplocrisme, the Theory of Magnaetisme and doctrine of ef [...]luxions, that this radical activity s [...]reames in Semi-im­material threds of Atomes conducted by the Mumial efflux, &c. wonder and a­mazement! Never Abraham-man or Parico spake purer language.

An other talks of reason; I acknowledge none, but that we are governed by sense. One writes that the soul re­tired unto her selfe, into her self, and reflexed by the prin­ciples of her own divini [...]y, sees every thing, &c. Toyes, vanities, how many thou­sand Chymaera's, strange forms [Page 42] phantomes, illusions, does the brain retired present, which presently are vanished, when the eyes doe open and fix upon any known object: where is our faith but in our eares [...] faith comes by hearing: Ob. Yet a mad man hath his sense yet no reason! 'Tis de­nyed, look upon his eyes; they stare, they rowle, they are unfixt: place his eyes firme and you rectifie that which you call reason. Chil­dren have feares and Bug­bear [...] in the dark; a candle does disperse them and recti­fie their weak eyes. Mopsa and Philoclea have the same or equal soules, only distin­guished [Page 43] by breeding or their Organs of sense. I will ac­compt him a sublime ratio­nal, that can discribe his last nights dreame with all the scenes, variations, motions, figures, colours, transactions, transcursions: And him a true rational that can ex tem­pore speak non-sense; no man can do either that is master of his common sense; But it is an other matter if any one will contradict me with his eyes shu [...], clausis quod dicitur oculis maledicere.

But I shall have such a skull of Sophisters pelting at me with their Ats and Ergos [...] Aristotle and Keckerman höoë ëaiäl [Page 44] raönale. Good boyes be a little patient, I will rectifie your Masters. Logicon and Lo­gica are the derivatives of lo­gos; Logos is sermo as well as ratio, or number, so that you may define a man to be a li­ving creature that can num­ber [...] where as no other Crea­ture can number except man. But rather homo est animal orationale, man is a creature that can speak. We have no other definition of a dog, but that he is a four-footed beast that barks; a cock that he is a feathered fowl that crowes; a partridge Jeukes &c. The Latines from the Greeks have a more ready [Page 45] expression for the inarticu­late voice of every creature and fitter for definition. Cer­ [...]us glocitat, Lepus vagit, L [...]pus ululat, Vulpecula gannit, Mu [...] mintrat, perdix cacabat, accipi­ter pipat, Milvus lipit, Passer pi­pit, Regulus Zinzilulat, &c.

An other talks of Seven Planets; amongst these Mer­cury; I acknowledge none such, nay I deny him. I ne­ver saw him, though early and late I have waited for him. Nay, no man ever saw him. Origanus and [...]rgalus our only two Ephemerists dif­fer twelve degrees in their Calculation, others seven; when as in others they misse [Page 46] not a second third or tenth. Now my merchant Mercury ( Mercuricus dicitur à mercibus) is never 27 or 30 degrees from the Sun; and if he be within 15. he is combust and invisible; by this conse­quence, when and where must I go seeke my stilbo? And what a ridiculous thing is it, that Mercury never being above 27 degrees from the Sun (called his maxima di­stantia) should ever appeare, when the Moon a more glo­rious body, more diaphanous, and more capable of lustre, never appears untill the prime, which is about three dayes after her departure [Page 47] from the Sun, and is neer or about 36 degrees. An. Do [...]. 1652. Ian. 25. 26, 27. Venus and Mercury conjunct, all clear evenings, Venus most full of lustre; no other Star ap­pearing neer her by ten yards in the eyes Computation, Anno praedicto May 18 ☉ ♊ 8. ☿ ♋ [...]. no appearance of Mercury, their distance 23 de­grees. But then you will have me take one of the days out of the week, and marke Wednesday with a black coal, and brand all antiquity with ignorance. No, we will find a supply, neither assume any thing to [...] our own invention, but revive antiquity; I have [Page 48] found out an other Mercury retired into his far recesse. Your stella Crinita, your bla­zing star, your Comet, he bears the same office of Se­cretary or Herald to de­nounce war, never above 60 degrees from the Sun, some­times before, sometimes after his master; some­times visible, more oft not appearing, yet alwayes in be­ing. Read with me the part of Albohazen par. 8. lib. compl. in Iudic [...] stella [...]um in revolu­tione annorum mundi, cap. 32. p. 94. Scias etiam quod cu [...] Comet. &c. Know also that when a Comet shall appeare in the [...]Revolution of the [Page 49] yeer, or in any quarter, or in any sign, the occasion will be according to the place of Mercury in that yeer: if he be oriental, it will be oriental; if occidental, the Comet will be occidental, and it will be re­moved when Mercury shall be combust: Ptol. tract. 2. c. 9. the Star with a tayle is assimulate to Mars and Mer­cury in nature.

An other spetious presum­ption. Hermins amongst the Armorists are derived of Her­mae, squared stones which did resemble Mercury, or Hermes without a head to adorn Se­pulchres, so that every spot should stand, for a Hermae [Page 50] containing the images of An­cestors: our blasing Star or Comet represents this Mer­cury with his flaming haire thus

The Israelites knew this indicial Mercury in their pas­sage through the wildernesse ( Exod. 13.) when the Lord went before them in the night in a pillar of fire; And the Magi in the new Testa­ment were guided by the same. These in memory or in semblance of the Mercuri [...]l statues, were fixt in all high wayes to point the several passages.

Sir, Still these are directed to [Page 51] you whose absolute dexterity and judgement is able either to create a new opinion in me or perfect our proceedings. I hope I shall take good rest; till morning I humbly take leave.

§. 4.

UPon a slumber a rough Su [...]vay fell upon me, of the fashion of ages, and diver­sity of Church governments: how sacred and superstitious the antients were in the num­ber of their prayers, their Pa­ter Nosters; How Idolatrous we are become to the num­ber seven in Idolizing a Sab­bath, [Page 52] with two s [...]rmons and long conceived prayers. In Q Elizabeths time when reli­gion was in her purity, even at very Court a few lent Ser­mons served the turne: But both these in their extremes may be moderated; and if we did well consider the 6. of St. Matthew, we ought not to be Battologists, and Polulogist [...], like the Gentiles thinking to be heard for their much bab­ling: But this mine opinion (God reforme me if I thinke amiss) Our Father, or rather the Lords prayer once repea­ted with a true submission to the ordinance and a mental energy, we shall have all [Page 53] things sufficient granted, for so the text promiseth, for the Father knoweth whereof ye have need before ye aske of him. And the particle [...] is derived from the primitive [...] quasi [...], i.e. ipse; the adverb hoc, idem the same, not varied with a periphrase hoc modo, and the Greeks will ad­mit of such adverbs as the Latine do not, you may force one, ipsissimè. The Eucharist in the Primitive Church was celebrated with only repea­ting the Lords prayer. St. Luke hath [...] say, and no more.

The numerous volumes of the primitive Fathers (in this [Page 54] doubt in reverence I spare to name them) but let it be Plu­tarch or Plinie, I much amaze at them; all the s [...]eep-skins in a Region will not make Parchment for one fowle Copy, 3000 at least. In so much that I believe, that po­sterity using the Criticisms of comparing stiles when the phrase did symphonize, did bestow other mens writings to other Authors Classesses of most renown.

I could name some in these our very dayes that have written stiles masculine and sinewy; Their methode, matter and conceit, rich, pious, reserched: But I find [Page 55] upon every occasion, they are pressing into the Press, and so become exhausted, grow enervate, [...]laccide, have not their pristine vigour and vi­vacity. I'le pass them by, and only meddle with them whose ashes are covered in the Flaminian fields; such in times past was Barnaby Rich the Phi [...]o [...]ogist with his Motto Malo me divitem esse, that boasted, this was the 36 book writ by the Author. Or old Mr. Barnard of Odcomb the Theologue, that upon every occasion of controversie of­fered in those dayes (which were many) would ever be [Page 56] sure to be bobbing into print. These were accompted in those days rare men, but now an act of oblivion hath passed upon all their works; And what stile and Authors the future age will produce, and whether they will be perpe­tuate, shall nothing trouble me.

Bellarmine and our Coun­triman Stapleton with some other Schoolmen, I have read some part of them (though but little) or run over. Volu­minous men farced up with authorities, and fathers ga­thered to their hands, of which if they were devested, [Page 57] they would appear but poor naked Sceletons [...] Let them lie aside; versing with Papists and Pitch are alike.

Knoxe the Scot (an argu­ment drawn from the nota­tion of the name) his Disci­pline hath begot so many knocks that I absolutely re­nounce him.

The Attick Archeologist (full of reading, paines and learning) hath moulded up a piece of Antiquity, extracted for the most part from the Poets, Ly [...]ophron, Sopho­cles, Aristophanes, Enripides and the Scholiasts, a [...]d obtrudes upon us these to be the ge­neral customes of the Atheni­ans: [Page 58] As if one in future age should make all England in ages past to be a Bartholomew [...] Faire, because Ben. Iohnson hath writ it. Or that the condition of all our English women may be drawn out of Shackespeers merry wifes of Windsor; or the religion of the low-Countrimen from Mr. Aminadab in the Alchy­mist. Or from Massingers Mr. Greedy, a hungry Justice of Peace in Nottingham-shire: Or Will-doe the Parson of Gotham the Condition of all the County. These may be applyed to Rosinus and Good­wins Roman Antiquities.

Oh! my left side! now I [Page 59] quarrel with mine old shooes Antiquities; for why should I value them better then my new ones? only they will serve to burn by the fire side, and save my shins, rather then walk abroad a la-mode according to the times.

For Armory and Algebra, I leave them to great men; by the armes in a Church win­dow they may know the te­nure of lands; by Algebra the value of their Leases and monies.

Hold me not vain glorious; I speak it to my shame; Ptolo­mies, Copernicus, Scenerus, Q. Elizabeth's the Prutenick tables, Tycho I have calcula­ted [Page 60] by them all: Vain man that I am, I was not born to that fortune to be a meer contemplative man; And the Period of these Sciences is to make a ridiculous Al­manack, or calculate a Nati­vity, full of paines, full of falshood, docti errores, menda­cia deliciis plena, operosi [...]ndi, and to the prudent—

And for Geometry and Tri­gonometry how ravishing soe­ver in the reading, I was not born to so low a fortune as to lead the divel in a chain.

The art of Shadowes I know well, and have added new repertions to find a Po­laritie by the Suns ray, to [Page 61] know the less then a minute by a Horizontal; to take the altitude of the Sun or stars exactly by a house end: Sim­ple man that I am (quoth Caxton) these are fit for none but a brother Squire of the Clock-house to attend Bow-bell.

I have read some part of the translation de ovo, and the generation of Animals; ex­quisite bawdery; the man is horrible obscene and scurri­lous, yet with the lawes and rules of nature, hee is mad with reason, and maintaines Aretinisme in the abstract by the highest Philosophy. Had they kept it lockt up in the [Page 62] Latine Vestery, and none but the Arch Flamines of AEscu­lapius his Temple to have entred into it, the piece had been incomparable.

Your Roman [...]es and Gazet­tes are the only harmless use­ful readings; there is pleasure in the reading, and nothing to burden the memory after: For to speak the Archadias Phrase, is an affectednesse di­stasted by all, and to relate a story from thence is ridicu­lous to the prudent; only you may say such is a pretty piece, and such a pretty passage.

I could save you a great deal of labour in buying and [Page 63] reading your Criticks or Com­ments upon any Authors, Ser­vius, Beroaldus, Agellius, Varro, Vitruvius, Iulius Pollux,; your Civilians de rerum & verborum significatione, Vlpian, Terentius, Cicilius, Martianus and a 100 more. You may find all these gathered together in a hand­ful in Holyocks Dictionary.

Oh! how the wind rise [...]h and fumes into my head? your Statute books, your Lawes civil and common, you may lay them aside: for every quarter we have a re­peal; and why should I read them, when they will not serve for practice?

For your [...]hysitians and [Page 64] Philosophers, I find them all to be but Friday mornings, and Sundayes in the after­noon, nothing but repeti­tions and elutriations: Only sometimes varying the me­thode, and sometimes the Phrase, and many times like Plagiaries stealing whole pages without commemora­tion of his Author. And it will anger a man that within less then an age Burgerdicius should shoulder out my old friend Keckerman, And Sen­nertus my dear Fernelius, and my illuminate Doctor Leo­nard; what hopes of eternity shall our best Authors have?

I compare Virgil and Sil­vester, [Page 65] and write them abso­lutely the best Poets in their respective languages: Silve­ster had all from Dubart [...] Virgil from Homer [...] if my as­sertion faile, Macrobius will attest it [...] Homer from an Egy­ptian Poet, and Du [...]bartas from an old Latine Copy which I have seen, composed, as thought, by some religious man in a riming hexameter.

I far prefer Homers Vlysses before Don Quixot, as the more exquisite piece of Drol­lery: Besides, the phrase in the bare Latine translation runns like a smooth blanck Jambick with a Mystick con­cealed number.

[Page 66]There's an old School-book lies by there, you may know it to be bound in a sheeps­skin by the mouldinesse, a neglected thing; But take it up, perhaps it may be the pelt of the Golden-fleece; [...]Tis Palingenius. If you aim at the height and pitch of humane learning, prefer him before Agrippa, Geber de Fluctibus, Lullius, Libanius or Hermes, to conver [...]e with Angels, to attain to the Philosophers stone, the universal medi­cine, the Elixar; in his Capri­corne and Pisces he excells them all (so by relation gi­ven me, and commended to me) But, good faith I confess [Page 67] though I have read them over, I understand none of them.

§. 5.

OH! now, now comes the torture, now my allego­rical [Page 68] head-piece is rent with Scotoms. A relapse of the Surfeit of men. I have expo­sed my selfe to all sorts and conversed with them; The illiterate and Proselite in hu­mane letters understands me not; the learned will have the same liberty to reject me, or aspire to the same kind of Tyrannie to usurp over me, or rather a livid passion will possess them; or at least that they know more and better things themselves: Alas! the whole Island of Anticyra brings not forth medicine sufficient for this mischiefe, though applyed by Melampus hands; I must apply to mine [Page 69] own remedies. Abstinence in the first place; hereafter farewel men, farewel books, only some elect and singular reserved.

The Parergon is past the result followes [...].