incredible, if they had fallen from the pen of any other.

In the year 1680 he fent into the world the following tracts, viz. The Aieral Noctiluca, and a Process of a factitious self-shining Subftance; befides which, he published alfo fome fmall difcourfes upon different fubjects. It was upon the thirtieth of November, in this year, that the Royal Society, as a proof of their just fenfe of his great worth, and of the conftant and particular fervices, which, through the course of many years, he had rendered to their Society, made choice of him for their Prefident; but he being extremely, and, as himself fays, peculiarly tender in point of oaths, declined the honour done him, by a letter addreffed to Mr. Profeffor Hooke of Gresham-college. He was also, within the compass of this year, a confiderable benefactor towards the publishing Dr. Burnet's Hiftory of the Reformation, as he very readily was, on the like occafion, to every performance calculated for the general use and benefit of mankind.

he

In 1681, he published his Difcourfe of Things above Reason; and the fame year was engaged in endeavouring to promote the preaching and promulgation of the Gospel amongst the Indians bordering upon NewEngland. In 1682, came out his New Experiments and Obfervations upon the Icy Noctiluca; to which is added, A Chymical Paradox, making it probable that their Principles

are

are tranfmutable, fo that out of one of them others may be produced. The fame year, he communicated to the public, The Second Part of his Continuation of New Experiments touching the Spring and Weight of the Air, and a large Appendix, containing feveral other difcourfes.

He published, in 1683, nothing that I find, except a fhort letter to the reverend Dr. John Beale, in relation to the making fresh water out of falt, published at the requeft of the patentees, who were embarked in Mr. Fitzgerald's project for that purpose, the propofals for which were addreffed to Mr. Boyle; and the author acknowledges therein the obligations he was under to him for his affiftance.

In the fucceeding year, 1684, he printed two very confiderable works. The firft was, his Memoirs for the Natural History of Human Blood; and his fecond, Experiments and Confiderations about the Porofity of Bodies, divided into two parts; the first relating to animals, the fecond to folid bodies and his works being now grown to a very confiderable bulk, the celebrated Dr. Ralph Cudworth, whose praife alone was fufficient to establish any man's title to fame, wrote to him in very preffing terms, to make an entire collection of his feveral treatifes, and to publish them in a body, and in the Latin tongue, in his own life-time, as well out of regard to his reputation, as to the general intereft of mankind,

and

He gave

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. 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 Causes 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

ad

plaufible accounts of things grounded purely on conjecture.

But philofophy and enquiries into nature, though they engaged his attention deeply, did not occupy it entirely, fince we find that he ftill continued to pursue his critical studies, in which he had the affiftance of fome as great men as have ever flourished in this kingdom, particularly Dr. Edward Pococke, Mr. Thomas Hyde, and Mr. Samuel Clark. He had also a strict intimacy with Dr. Thomas Barlow, at that time head keeper of the Bodleian Library, and afterwards bishop of Lincoln, a man of various and extenfive learning. He was likewise the patron of the very learned Dr. John Pell, an eminent mathematician and the famous Dr. John Wallis, who diftinguished himself in that and other branches of learning, did him the honour to dedicate to him his excellent treatife on the Cycloid.

;

In 1659, being acquainted with the cir cumftances of the learned Dr. Robert Sanderfon, afterwards bishop of Lincoln, he bestowed on him a ftipend of fifty pounds, a year; and that great man thankfully acknowledged the obligations he was under to fo generous a patron, in a dedication of his Le&ures, which were printed at Oxford the fame year.

After the restoration, he was treated with great civility and refpect by the king, and with much affection and efteem by his two great minifters, the lord-treaíurer Southampton, and, the lord-chancellor Clarendon, by

whom

whom he was preffed to enter into holy orders, of which he had very ferious thoughts, but at laft thought fit to decline it, upon very juft and difinterefted motives. The fame year he publifhed two of his firft pieces, one of which was printed at Oxford, and the other at London; the former was his New Experiments touching the spring of the air, which he addreffed to his nephew the lord Dungarvan, and this drew him into a controverfy with Francifcus Linus, and the famous Mr. Thomas Hobbes, whofe objections he refuted with equal candour, clearness, and civility. The fecond was his difcourfe on Seraphic Love, and both pieces were received with univerfal applaufe. The fame of his great learning and abilities extended itself, even at this time, beyond the bounds of our island, fo that the Grand Duke of Tufcany, a prince diftinguished for learning, defired Mr. Southwell, then Refident at Florence, to acquaint Mr. Boyle with his defire of holding a correfpondence with him.

In 1661, he published his Phyfiological Effays, and other tracts, which added greatly to the esteem, that all true lovers of learning had for his knowledge in things of this na

ture.

Some time after he fent abroad another curious and excellent work, intitled, The Sceptical Chymift, which was printed at Oxford; but feveral treatifes that are mentioned in this and the former work, as being in great forwardness, and which the world very imVOL. VIII. patiently

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