TO THEREADER.
Vid. Bp.Burnet’s Funeral Serm. p. 24.
As the nobleFounderof theLecturesI have had the Honour of Preaching, was a great Improverof Natural Knowledge, so, in all Probability, he did it out of a pious End, as well as in Pursuit of hisGenius. For it was his settled Opinion, that nothing tended more to cultivate true Religion and Piety in a Man’s Mind, than a thorough Skill in Philosophy. And such Effect it manifestly had in him, as is evident from divers of his published Pieces; from his constant Deportment innever mentioning the Name ofGodwithout a Pause, and visible Stop in his Discourse; and from the noble Foundation of his Lectures for the Honour ofGod, and the generous Stipend he allowed for the same.
Vid. Mr.Boyle’s Will.
And forasmuch as his Lectures were appointed by him for theProof of the Christian Religion against Atheists and other notorious Infidels, I thought, when I had the Honour to be made his Lecturer, that I could not better come up to his Intent, than to attempt a Demonstration of theBeingandAttributes ofGod, in what I may call Mr.Boyle’s own, that is aPhysico-Theological, Way. And, besides that it was for this very Service that I was called to this Honour, I was the more induced to follow this Method, by reason none of my learned and ingenious Predecessors in these Lectures, have done it on purpose, but only casually, in a transient, piece-meal manner; they having made it their Business to prove the great Points of Christianity in another Way, which they have accordingly admirably done. But considering what ourHonourable Founder’s Opinion was ofNatural Knowledge, and that his Intent was, that those Matters by passing through divers Hands, and by being treated of in different Methods, should take in most of what could be said upon the Subject, I hope my Performance may be acceptable, although one of the meanest.
As for others, who have before me done something of this kind; asMersenneonGenesis; Dr.Cockburnein hisEssays; Mr.Rayin hisWisdom of God, &c. and I may add the first of Mr.Boyle’sLecturers, the most learned Dr.Bentlyin hisBoyle’sLectures, the eloquent Arch-Bishop ofCambray, (and I hear, the ingenious Mons.Peraulthath something of this kind, but never saw it:) I say, as to these learned and ingenious Authors, as the Creation is an ample Subject, so I industriously endeavour’d to avoid doing over what they before had done; and for that Reason did not, for many Years, read their Books until I had finish’d my own. But when I came to compare what each of us had done, I found my self in many Things to have been anticipated by some or other of them, especially by my Friend, the late great Mr.Ray. And therefore in some Places I shorten’d my Discourse, and referr’d to them; and in a few others, where the Thread of my Discourse would have been interrupted, I have made use of their Authority, as the best Judges; as of Mr.Ray’s, for Instance, with Relation to the Mountains and their Plants, and other Products. If then the Reader should meet with any Thing mention’d before by others, and not accordingly acknowledged by me, I hope he will candidly think me no Plagiary, because I can assure him I have along, (where I was aware of it,) cited my Authors with their due Praise. And it is scarce possible, when Men write on the same, or a Subject near a-kin, and the Observations are obvious, but that they must often hit upon the same Thing: And frequently this may happen from Persons making Observations about one, and the same Thing, without knowing what each other hath done; which indeed, when the first Edition of my Book was nearly printed off, I found to be my own Case, having (for want of Dr.Hook’sMicrographybeing at hand, it being a very scarce Book, and many Years since I read it,) given Descriptions of two or three Things, which I thought had not been tolerably well observ’d before, but are describ’d well by that curious Gentleman.
One is aFeather, the Mechanism of which we in the main agree in, except in his Representation inFig. 1. Scheme 22.which is somewhat different from what I have represented in myFig. 18, &c.But I can stand by the Truth, though not the Elegance of my Figures. But as to the other Differences, they are accidental, occasion’d by our taking the Parts in a different View, or in a different Part of a Vane; and to say the Truth, (not flattering my self, or detracting from the admirable Observations of that great Man,) I have hit upon a few Things that escap’d him, being enabled to do so, not only by the Help of such Microscopes as he made use of; but also by those made by Mr.Wilson, which exceed all I ever saw, whether ofEnglish,Dutch, orItalianmake; several of which Sorts I have seen and examined.
The other Thing we have both of us figur’d and describ’d, is,The Sting of a Bee or Wasp; in which we differ more than in the last. But by a careful Re-examination, I find, that although Dr.Hook’s Observations are more critical than any were before, yet they are not so true as mine. For as to theScabbard, (as he calls it,) I could never discover any Beards thereon; and I dare be confident there are none, but what are on the two Spears. And as to the Point of theScabbard, he hath represented it as tubular, or bluntish at the Top; but it really terminates in a sharp Point, and the two Spears and the Poyson come out at a Slit, or longish Hole, a little below the Top or Point. And as to the Spears, he makes them to be but one, and that the Point thereof lies always out of the Scabbard. But by a strict Examination, they will be found to be two, as I have said, and that they always lie within the Scabbard, except in stinging; as I have represented them, inFig. 21.from the transparent Sting of a Wasp. And as to the Spear being made of Joynts, and parted into two, as hisFig. 2. Scheme 16.represents, I could never upon a Review, discover it to be so, but imagine, that by seeing the Beards lying upon, or behind the Spears, he might take them for Joynts, and by seeing the Point of one Spear lie before the other, he might think the Spear was parted in two. But lest the Reader should think himself imposed upon both by Dr.Hookand mySelf, it is necessary to be observ’d, that theBeards(orTenterhooksas Dr.Hookcalls them) lie only on one Side of each Spear, not all round them; and are therefore not to be seen, unless they are laid in a due Posture in the Microscope,viz.sideways, not under, or atop the Spear.
The last Thing (which scarce deserves mention) is the Mechanism of theHair, which Dr.Hookfound to be solid, like a long Piece of Horn, not hollow, asMalpighifound it in some Animals. And I have found both those great Men to be in some Measure in the Right, the Hair of some Animals, or in some Parts of the Body being very little, if at all tubular; and in others, particularlyMice,RatsandCats, to be as I have represented in myFig. 14.&c.
And now if my Inadvertency in other Things hath no worse Effect than it hath had in these, namely, to confirm, correct, or clear others Observations, I hope the Reader will excuse it, if he meets with any more of the like kind. But not being conscious of any such Thing (although probably there may be many such) I am more sollicitous to beg the Reader’s Candour and Favour, with Relation both to theTextandNotes: In the former of which, I fear he will think I have much under-done, as in the latter over-done the Matter: But for my Excuse, I desire it may be consider’d, that the textual Part being Sermons, to be deliver’d in the Pulpit, it was necessary to insist but briefly upon many of the Works ofGod, and to leave out many Things that might have been admitted in a more free Discourse. So that I wish it may not be thought I have said too much rather than too little for such an Occasion and Place. And indeed, I had no small Trouble in expunging some Things, altering many, and softening the most, and, in a word, giving in some measure the Whole a different Dress than what I had at first drawn it up in, and what it now appears in.
And as for theNotes, which may be thought too large, I confess I might have shorten’d them, and had Thoughts of doing it, by casting some of them into the Text, as an ingenious, learned Friend advis’d. But when I began to do this, I found it was in a Manner to new-make all, and that I should be necessitated to transcribe the greatest Part of the Book, which (having no Assistant) would have been too tedious for me, being pretty well fatigu’d with it before. I then thought it best to pare off from some, and to leave out others, and accordingly did so in many Places, and would have done it in more, particularly, in many of theCitationsout of theAncients, bothPoetsand others, as also in many of theanatomical Observations, and many of my own and others Observations: But then I consider’d as to the First, that those Citations do (many of them at least) shew the Sense of Mankind about God’s Works, and that the most of them may be acceptable to young Gentlemen at the Universities, for whose Service these Lectures are greatly intended. And as to the anatomical Notes, and some others of the like Nature, most of them serve either to the Confirmation, or the Illustration, or Explication of the Text, if not to the learned, yet to the unskilful, less learned Reader; for whose sake, if I had added more, I believe he would forgive me. And lastly, as to the Observations of my self and some others, where it happens that they are long, it is commonly where a Necessity lay upon me of fully expressing the Author’s Sense, or my own, or where the Thing was new, and never before Publish’d; in which Case, it was necessary to be more Express and Particular, than in Matters better known, or where the Author may be referr’d unto.
In the former Editions I promisedanother Part IHadrelating to the Heavens, if I was thereunto encouraged. And two large Impressions of this Book, having been sold off, so as to admit of a Third before the Year was gone about; and hearing that it is translated into two, if not three Languages; but especially being importuned by divers learned Persons, both known and unknown, I have thought my self sufficiently engaged to perform that Promise; and have accordingly published that Part.
So that I have now carry’d mySurveythrough most Parts of the visible Creation, except theWaters, which are for the most Part omitted; and theVegetables, which, for want of Time, I was forced to treat of in a perfunctory Manner. And to the Undertaking of the former of these, having receiv’d divers Sollicitations from Persons unknown as well as known, I think my self bound in Civility to own their Favour, and to return them my hearty Thanks for the kind Opinion they have shewn of my other Performances, that they have encourag’d me to undertake this other Task. And accordingly I have begun it, and (as far as my Affairs will permit) have made some Progress in it: But Age and Avocations growing upon me, I begin to fear I shall scarce be able to finish it as I would, and therefore must recommend that ample and noble Subject to others, who have more leisure, and would do it better than I.
As toAdditions, I have been much sollicited thereto by divers curious and learned Persons, who would have had me to insert some of their Observations, and many more of my own: But in a Work of this Nature, this would have been endless; and although the Book would thereby be render’d much better, and more compleat, yet I could by no Means excuse so great an Injustice to the Purchasers of the former Editions. And therefore (except in the second Edition, where it was not easy to be avoided) few Additions or Alterations have been made, besides what were Typographical, or of small Consideration. Only in the third Edition I amended the first Paragraph ofNote (a). Chap. 5. Book 1.concerningGravity; and in the Fourth,Page 16.and18.I inserted two Passages out ofSeneca, that were inadvertently left out, and corrected many Things, that upon a careful Review, seem’d to want amendment.
And lastly, as to the followingAnalysis, it was added at the Request of some of my learned and ingenious Friends; and although it might have been contracted, they would not suffer it to be so.