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already fufficiently laboured or undertaken; unto which point it is an Inducement to enter into a view and examination what parts of learning have been prosecuted, and what omitted: for the opinion of plenty is amongst the causes of want, and the great quantity of Books maketh a fhow rather of superfluity than lack; which furcharge, nevertheless, is not to be remedied by making no more books, but by making more good books, which, as the serpent of Moses, might devour the serpents of the enchanters.

The removing of all the defects formerly enumerated, except the laft, and of the active part also of the last, (which is the designation of Writers,) are Opera Bafilica; towards which the endeavours of a private man may be but as an Image in a crossway, that may point at the way, but cannot go it but the inducing part of the latter, which is the furvey of Learning, may be fet forward by private travel. Wherefore I will now attempt to make a general and faithful perambulation of learning, with an inquiry what parts thereof lie fresh and waste, and not improved and converted by the industry of man; to the end that fuch a plot, made and recorded to memory, may both minifter light to any public designation, and also serve to excite voluntary endeavours: wherein, nevertheless, my purpose is, at this time, to note only omiffions and deficiencies, and not to make any redargution of errors, or incomplete profecutions; for it is one thing to fet forth what ground lieth unmanured,

and another thing to correct ill husbandry in that which is manured.

In the handling and undertaking of which work I am not ignorant what it is that I do now move and attempt, nor infenfible of mine own weakness to fuftain my purpofe; but my hope is, that if my extreme love to Learning carry me too far, I may obtain the excufe of affection; for that It is not granted to man to love and to be wife. But, I know well, I can use no other liberty of Judgment than I must leave to others; and I, for my part, shall be indifferently glad either to perform myself, or accept from another, that duty of humanity; Nam qui erranti comiter monftrat viam, &c. I do forefee, likewise, that of those things which I fhall enter and Register as Deficiencies and Omiffions, many will conceive and cenfure that fome of them are already done and extant; others to be but curiofities, and things of no great use: and others to be of too great difficulty, and almost impoffibility to be compaffed and effected: but for the two first, I refer myself to the particulars; for the last, touching impoffibility, I take it those things are to be held poffible which may be done by fome perfon, though not by every one; and which may be done by many, though not by any one: and which may be done in the fucceffion of ages, though not within the hourglass of one man's life; and which may be done by public defignation, though not by private endeavour. But, notwithstanding, if any Man will take to himself rather that of Solomon,

Dicit piger, Leo eft in via, than that of Virgil, Poffunt quia poffe videntur, I fhall be content that my labours be esteemed but as the better fort of wishes; for as it asketh fome Knowledge to demand a queftion not impertinent, fo it requireth fome sense to make a wifh not abfurd.

HE Parts of human Learning have
reference to the three parts of Man's
Understanding, which is the feat of
Learning: Hiftory to his Memory,

Poefy to his Imagination, and Philofophy to his Reafon. Divine Learning receiveth the fame diftribution; for the Spirit of Man is the fame, though the Revelation of Oracle and Senfe be diverfe: fo as Theology confifteth alfo of the History of the Church; of Parables, which is Divine Poefy; and of holy Doctrine or Precept: for as for that part which feemeth fupernumerary, which is Prophecy, it is but Divine Hiftory; which hath that prerogative over human, as the Narration may be before the fact as well as after.

Hiftory is Natural, Civil, Ecclefiaftical, and Literary; whereof the first three I allow as extant, the fourth I note as deficient. For no man hath propounded to himself the general ftate of Learning to be described and reprefented from age to age, as many have done the works of Nature, and the State Civil and Ecclefiaftical; without which the History of the World seemeth to me to be as the Statue of Polyphemus with his eye out; that

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part being wanting which doth most shew the spirit and life of the perfon : and yet I am not ignorant that in divers particular fciences, as of the Jurifconfults, the Mathematicians, the Rhetoricians, the Philofophers, there are fet down fome fmall memorials of the Schools, Authors, and Books; and so likewise some barren relations touching the Invention of Arts or ufages. But a juft ftory of Learning, containing the Antiquities and Originals of Knowledges and their Sects, their Inventions, their Traditions, their diverse Administrations and Managings, their Flourishings, their Oppositions, Decays, Depreffions, Oblivions, Removes, with the causes and occafions of them, and all other events concerning Learning, throughout the ages of the World, I may truly affirm to be wanting. The use and end of which work I do not fo much defign for curiofity, or fatisfaction of those that are the lovers of Learning, but chiefly for a more serious and grave purpose; which is this, in few words, that it will make Learned men wife in the use and administration of Learning. For it is not St. Augustine's nor St. Ambrofe's works that will make so wife a Divine, as Ecclefiaftical History, thoroughly read and obferved; and the fame reason is of Learning.

Hiftory of Nature is of three forts; of Nature in Course, of Nature Erring or Varying, and of Nature Altered or wrought; that is, History of Creatures, Hiftory of Marvels, and History of Arts. The first of these, no doubt, is extant, and that in

good perfection; the two latter are handled fo weakly and unprofitably, as I am moved to note them as deficient. For I find no fufficient or competent Collection of the Works of Nature which have a Digreffion and Deflexion from the ordinary course of Generations, Productions, and Motions; whether they be fingularities of place and region, or the ftrange events of time and chance, or the effects of yet unknown properties, or the instances of exception to general kinds. It is true, I find a number of books of fabulous Experiments and Secrets, and frivolous Impostures for pleasure and ftrangeness; but a substantial and fevere Collection of the Heteroclites or Irregulars of Nature, well examined and described, I find not: especially not with due rejection of fables and popular Errors: for as things now are, if an untruth in Nature be once on foot, what by reason of the neglect of examination, and countenance of Antiquity, and what by reason of the use of the opinion in fimilitudes and ornaments of speech, it is never called down.

The use of this work, honoured with a precedent in Aristotle, is nothing less than to give contentment to the appetite of Curious and vain Wits, as the manner of Mirabilaries is to do; but for two Reasons, both of great weight; the one to correct the partiality of Axioms and Opinions, which are commonly framed only upon common and familiar examples; the other because from the Wonders of Nature is the nearest Intelligence and paffage towards the Wonders of Art: for it is no more but

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