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and the peculiar fatisfaction to the learned world.

In 1635, he obliged the world with his Short Memoirs for the Natural Experimental Hiftory of Mineral Waters, with Directions as to the several Methods of trying them, including abundance of new and useful Remarks, as well as feveral curious Experiments. He gave the world alfo, in the fame year, another excellent work, entitled, An Effay of the great Effects of languid and unheeded Motion; with an Appendix, containing an Experimental Difcourfe of fome hitherto little regarded Caufes of the Infalubrity and Salubrity of the Air, and it's Effects; than which none of his treatifes were ever received with greater or more general applaufe. He published, in the fame year, A Differtation on the. Reconcileablenefs of Specific Medicines to the Corpufcular Philofophy; to which is added, A Difcourfe of the Advantages attending the Ufe of Simple Medicines. To thefe Philofophical, he added a moft excellent Theological Difcourfe, Of the high Veneration Man's Intellect owes to God, particularly for his Wif dom and Power; being a part of a much larger work, which he fignified to the world, to prevent any exception from being taken at the abrupt manner of its beginning..

At the entrance of the fucceeding year, 1686, came abroad his Free Enquiry into the vulgarly received Notion of Nature; one of be most important and useful pieces that ever fell from his pen; and which will be always

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admired and esteemed by such as have a true zeal for religion and intelligible philofophy. In the month of June, the fame year, his friend Dr. Gilbert Burnet, afterwards lordbishop of Sarum, tranfmitted to him from Holland, his account of his travels through France, Switzerland, and Italy; which were afterwards published.

In 1687, a work which he had drawn up in his youth, entitled, The Martyrdom of Theodora and Dydimia, came from the prefs to the hands of the public. In 1688, he obliged the world with a moft curious and ufeful treatise, entitled, A Difquifition into the final Caufes of Natural Things; and whether, if at all, with what Caution a Naturalist should admit them. To which is added, An Appendix about vitiated Sight. In this piece he treats, with great judgment and perfpicuity, many of the deepest and most abAtracted notions in Philofophy and Religion, fo as to give fatisfaction to the candid, without running into any offenfive notions, in the opinion even of the most critical reader; which is a felicity, that, in cafes of this nature, has very rarely attended the writings of any other author than Mr. Boyle; whose care was equal to his quickness, and whose caution hindered him from hazarding any thing that might fhock weak minds, or tender confciences. In the month of May, this year, our author, however unwillingly, was

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conftrained to make his complaint to the public of fome inconveniences under which he had long laboured; which he did by an advertisement addreffed to J. W. to be communicated to fuch of his friends as were virtuofi, to inform them of the lofs of many of his writings, and that it might ferve as an explanatory preface to fome of his mutilated and unfinished pieces.

One cannot well conceive any thing that gives a higher or more expreffive notion of the worth and excellency of this great man, than this paper, which, had it come from any other perfon, would have been either regarded as a common and trivial advertisement, or as a very glaring mark of felf-conceit and vanity; but, in reference to Mr. Boyle, it appears fo neceffary to himself, that it could not be omitted; of fuch importance to the public, that it cannot be forgot; and fo cautioufly digefted, as to raife our admiration and

efteem for its author.

He began now to find that his health, notwithstanding all his care and caution, began fenfibly to decline, and his ftrength to decay; which put him upon devifing every method that was poffible for hufbanding his time, for the future, for the benefit of the learned world. In doing this, he preferred generals to particulars; and the affiftance of the whole republic of letters, to that of any branch, by what ties foever he might be connected therewith.

It was from this view, that he no longer communicated particular difcourfes, or new discoveries, to the royal fociety, because this could not be done without withdrawing his thoughts from tasks which he thought of still greater importance. It was the more fteadily to attend thefe, that he refigned his poft of governor of the corporation for propagating the Gospel in New-England; nay, he went fo far as to fignity to the world, that he could no longer receive vifits as ufual; and all this, that he might have leifure to put his papers in order; to fupply the blanks he had left in many of his treatifes, and to repair the deficiences in others occafioned by the falling upon them of corrofive liquors; that, as he had been useful to the public during the whole courfe of his life, fo the vaft collections he left behind him, of the importance of which he was the best judge, might not prove useless after his deceafe. This was certainly an inftance of learned patriotifm, worthy of admiration at least, and, if fuch a genius bould ever arife again, of imitation.

Among the other great works which, by this means, he gained time to finish, there is great reafon to believe, that one was A Collection of Elaborate Proceffes in Chemistry;" corcerning which he wrote a letter to a friend which is ftill extant, but the piece itself was never published, nor fome other curious tracts relating to the fame fubject, found amongst his papers; which has been confidered as an irrepara

irreparable lofs to fuch as have a fondness for thefe kind of studies.

In 1690, he publifhed his Medecina Hydroftatica: or, Hydrostatics applied to the Materia Medica: fhewing how, by the Weight that divers Bodies used in Phyfic have in Water, one may discover whether they be genuine or adulterate. To which is fubjoined, A previous Hydrostatical Way of eftimating Ores. He informs us, in the poftfcript of this treatife, that he had prepared materials fufficient for a fecond volume, which he promised, but it never appeared. He publifhed, however, this year, another moft excellent work, which bore the following title: The Christian Virtuofo; fhewing, that, by being addicted to Experimental Philofophy, a man is rather affifted than indifpofed to be a good Christian. The first Part. To which are fubjoined, F. A Difcourfe about the distinction that reprefents fome things as above reafon, but not contrary to reafon. II. The first Chapters of a Difcourfe, entitled, Greatnefs of Mind promoted by Christianity. In the advertisement prefixed to this work, he mentions A Second Part of the Chriftian Virtuofo; which he had begun, and which is actually published in the laft edition of his works; that is to fay, imperfect, as he left it, with an Appendix to the first part..

He communicated, about this time, to Mr. De la Crofe, a very ingenious gentleman, who published

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