is something sure besides Dark Terms and Subtilties in Aristotle's Rhetorick Ethicks and History of Animals I will when he thinks fit to call me to an Account tell him somewhat of the Diviner Philosophy of Plato of Leucippus Democritus and Epicurus too as 't is illustrated and refin'd by Petrus Gassendus which may be learn't in the Universities I will give him some Account of the Excellency of the sublime Science of Pyrotechny and its various State Alterations and Refinements from the Times of Hermes Geber and Lullius down to Valentinus Paracelsus and the acute Helmont I will acquaint him if he please with the condition and state of Anatomical Learning from the Times of Herophilus Galen and the Alexandrian School down to the days of Cesalpinus Harvey Riolanus and the young Esculapius of Oâ—on Qui genus Humanum ingenio superavit Omnes Praestrinxit stellas exortus ut AEthereus Sol. I will also tell him some of the wonderful Feats of Polygraphy and Steganography so much talk't of by Claramuel Cornelius Agrippa Silenus and Frier Bacon and for fear of hurting his Head with dark Terms and Subtilties and Old Philosophical Quirks which breed Stiffness and Positiveness in Opinion we 'll talk of the stupendious effects of the Magnetical Philosophy improv'd by Cabaeus Athanasius Kercherus and the Learned Gilbertus as also of the great importance of Emblems Hieroglyphicks and the Universal Character of great Vogue and Repute if we may believe the Author of the Examen in some of the Oriental Nations I could here tell some of the strange Performances of the Thermometer Barometer or Aerometer as some call it the discoveries of the Telescope and without the help of the Torricellian Experiment or Air-pump undertake to prove even a coacervate Vacuity in Nature And because he is offended with the Greek and Latin Tongues I think I could oblige his squeamish and diseased Fancy with a luscius and wonderful Secret approv'd of by his Old Friend the Author of the Examen as well as by the divinely inspir'd Teutonick and Rosicrusian Fraternity call'd the Language of Nature or the Paradisical Language of the out-flown Word which Adam understood while he was in the state of Innocence This is that Angelical Language which speaks and breaths forth those Central Mysteries that lay hid in the heavenly Magick and wrapp'd up in the Bosom of the eternal Essence wherein were hidden and involv'd all the Treasury of those Ideal Signatures which were brought to light by the Peripherical Expansion and Evolution of the Out-flowing Fiat and so became existent in the Womb of that generative and faetiferous Word from whence sprung up the wonderful and various Seminal Natures bearing the true Signatures of the divine and characteristical Impressions like so many Harmoniacal and Symphoniacal Voices sounding forth in an heav'nly Consort the Wisdom Power Glory and Might of the transcendent central Abyss of Unity from whence they did arise and all speaking one Language expressing in that mystical Idiom the hidden Vertues Nature and Properties of those various Sounds which tho' one in the Center become infinitely numerous in the Existence and Circumference Exam. p. 27. The Prefacer if he please may consider gravely of this and improve it at his leisure At present I shall only beg of him and 't is a very reasonable request that he would be so civil and good natur'd for the future as to give God leave to Govern the Kingdoms of the Earth in his own way that he would acknowledge all power is from God that by him Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice That he would have so just and favourable Opinion of the Wisdom of the Parliament as to think 'em sufficiently qualified without his help to contrive good and wholsome Laws for the benefit of the Publick That he would know to despise and vilify the Clergy is to dishonour that Being that sent 'em to instruct him That if he cannot curb his busy impetuous fancy he would at least direct and bend it some other way and betake himself either to Microscopical Curiosities the solving of Problems or catching of Flies as Dometian us'd to do and dissecting 'em if he will for the advancement of his Knowledge or if that be too minute and fine a performance that he would with Galen Anatomize Apes and Monkeys for the improvement of himself That instead of too curiously medling with the Body Politick he would with Democtitus enquire into the Nature and Scituation of that Thing which has given us this disturbance That instead of employing his talent and thoughts about the Mysteries of Government he would look into the Wonders of the little World and lastly that instead of bewildring his fancy in the Doctrines of Machiavel and Hobbs he would seriously read and endeavour to understand the Creed Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments in the Vulgar Tongue and be further instructed in the Church Catechism set forth for that purpose Fifthly Another bold stride to push on the Republican Plot is to amuse the Multitude with much Talk about a Contract betwixt King and People and drawing wild Inferences from it If the King fail in his Promise the People are exempt from their Obedience The Contract is made void and the Right of Obligation is of no force Vindic. Cont. Tyran This is the Old Stile and heretofore did great Execution God send us a good Deliverance For the Prefacer rally's upon us with this Engine too and makes it a part of the Duty we owe to our Country to preserve our Constitution upon it's true and natural Basis the Original Contract All other Foundations being false nonsensical and rotten derogatory to the present Government c. He triumphs and shews his mettle in talking proudly of the Rights of the People and the Duty we owe to our Country all this he can shrewdly inculcate twice in one page But instead of meeting with the Rights of Sovereignty and Allegiance due to their Majesties we hear nothing but the rough and blustring Sounds of the Plague of Tyranny and dispatching Kings without Ceremony This I take to be a strong Symtom of an Antimonarchical Distemper in him Nay he do's in effect undermine the Present Government by making it depend upon an imaginary Basis or Foundation that can no where be found but in such Heads as are stuff'd with Dreams and Visions and perfect airy Imaginations The most Learned in the Law with whom it has been my good-Fortune to converse know nothing of this Original Contract and tho some have made as much declamation and as horrible din about it as others do about Original Sin yet I challenge the Prefacer to afford me half so plain and pregnant proof of the one as he has given of the other Let him not think to trifle or put us off with fanciful Conjectures random Inferences ipse dixit's and wild conclusions from fantastical Premises which I value no more than a Jest of Poor Robin's or a Prophecy of B
Prefacer wants is an Antidote against all Immorality against Hypocrasy Impudence Calumny and Treason as well as Tyrannical Dominion and I wish that Travel had always prov'd a Preservative against Scisme and which now walks in darkness the Pestilence of Rebellion I know not what Notion of Tyranny he entertains nor what use he intends to make of his own Maxims With some a King and Tyrant are equivalent Names but at present 't is not his proper business to distinguish or define When a kinder season or opportunity shall give the Alarm he may if he pleases draw Daggers Pistols Swords Guns and all the Artillery of Death out of such licentious Suggestions As for my own part I am much more afraid of the smug and plausible Names of a Free People and the pretious Jewel Liâ—erty than at all his clutter and noise about a Double Sword a Bigotted Prince Tyranny and slavish Opinions Our puissant Prince has yet given no Reason for such ungenteel and sordid suggestions and 't is a crooked piece of intollerable Insolence to be perpetually playing thus with hard Names to hover aloof in Amusements and Generalities because he dares not yet come to particulars to lye shrugging spawling and making mouths in the very face of Majesty for want of a little more courage to speak plain A little more of this artificial Thunder may make the people believe that they shall not carry a whole skin to their Graves nor be permitted to walk uncrop'd along the Streets Were his Majesty as truly absolute and despoâ—ical as an â—astern Monarch or were his meer Sovereign unaccountable Will the Standard of all his Actions a Province to which his Genius seems not to encline him yet I should rather choose to live under his protection than under the imaginary Freedom of the purest popular State Falliturâ— Egregio quisquis sub Principe credit Servitium nunquam libertas Gratior extat Quam sub Rege pio All Kings are intrinsecally limited and bounded by the eternal laws of Right Reason and are under a more immediate influence and direction of the Deity they represent They must be wilfully and unaccountably wicked indeed before they can quite forfeit the over-sight and care of those Tutelary Angels that attend 'em from their Birth and when they have done so no wonder if there is nothing so unlovely or impious which they canno readily commit This was the case of Nero and other persecuting Emperours who in the hands of God were the Real Whips and Scourges of Mankind and yet as bad they were I Believe they have been overcharged by some Historians who under pretence of Liberty and to please a Party have written perhaps as licentiously as the other liv'dâ— Under Titus and Aurelius and other Emperours of the same Stamp and Complexion there was more security and freedom among the Romans than in the cry'd up Popular State and even at this day some of the Eastern Kings if Travellers o th' better Strain may be Believed demean themselves with true Political decorum towards their Subjects whose prerogative 't is as well as Duty to Obey But when the People bear Sway and the multitude decree justice what true settlement can be hop'd for under Governours so wild and uncertain what lasting security even in the midst of ease what Liberty or freedom in the midst of Fears and distracting apprehensions of Thingâ— The People while they move in their proper Sphear and are instructed how to obey may perform their office regularly and well enough like other ordinary parts of the Creation and 't is principallyâ— the fault of designing Polititians if they are debauch't from their due Allegiance which is their undoubted Priviledge and Glory But if once they are drawn up into the Element of authority and pow'r what Confusions Storms and Earthquakes must they raise Nature is quite untun'd by the discords which they create and the intellectual World groans under their Government and Fury What pretious and Brave times should we see again if a John of Leyden should start out of his grave and set up for a King or Kett a Tanner should Lord it dapperly among us â—â—â— a Bedlam should â—â— hâ—ve â—â—â— â—â—â—â—s a Learned and good Historian if the inferior Ruâ—â—icks of Kent Essex c. â—nder Wat Tyler a Taylor Jack Straw and other such low born Chieftains hâ—d prâ—â—â—â— against King Richard the â—â—â— who endeavoured to destroy the King Noâ—ility and Clergy extirpate all Learning and overthrow all Government by their lâ—velling Humours for which purpose tâ—ey murder'd all Persons of Quality which fell into their Clutches if not of their Society burnt and destroyed the best Houses in London and had so little respect of Persons that every Slave amongst them would sport themselves upon the King's Bed and impudently invite the Kings Mother to kiss with them whose Heâ—d they also broke in a Tyrannizing Frolick And that their villany might be compleat by a Bloody Sacriledge they took Simon Tibald Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and in their Devilish Fury by eight Mangling Stroaks cut off his Head and for more Infamy set it upon London-bridge The Rebellious Mobb in Valentia heretofore design'd to destroy all the Gentry which made a poor Woman in the same City seeing some Gentleman go by shew 'em to her Children Telling them withal when you come to be Men you may say you have seen Gentlemen The worst and rankest Effluvium's do not strike more ungratefully upon the Organs of Sense than Moral good upon the highest and Noblest Faculties of the People Madness is their Character upon sacred and inviolable Recordâ— Their Minds are so Tinctur'd with false Ideas corrupt Hypotheses undue apprehensions and fantastical Images of things that they scarce retain when bewildred with Dreams and Visions of Original Power the common rudimental Principles of Humane Nature The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or notices of Moral Beauty and Deformity are perfect strangers to their Beings tell them if equals be substracted from Equals what remains must be equal and you may be in danger of being arraign'd for a dealer in Art-magick what the eyes of Batts and Owls are with respect to the Light such are their minds in reference to Justice Gentility and good Manners and whosoever pretends to entitle 'em to Grand Rights Immunities and Superiority must do it by that Figure by which Ideots and Mad-men are under the actual Sanction of no Law Pref. In Russia and Muscovy the Government is as Tyrannical as in any of the more Eastern Monarchies the Priests there have very much contributed to make it so To the end that the People may be kept in the requisite temper of Obedience none are permitted to Travel upon pain of Death except such as have special License least such Travellers should see the Liberty of other Nations c. Gravely and Goodly I find our Prefacer loves Perseverance as well as the best Covenanting Saint among 'em all I warrant he could hold forth against Priests and
y's the Grand Enquiry is about a Contract upon Record at the first Erection of the English Monarchy If he knows where to find it let him place it in open view erit mihi Magnus Apollo But methinks I see him stand like a man enchanted and fumbling about the matter The man of Confidence becomes meal-mouth'd and bashful on a sudden the high-mettled Hero will not jog on this way No 't is too choice a Nostrum to be publickly expos'd 't is too pretious a commodity to be laid upon the Stall profane and unsanctified eyes must not behold it In Magna Charta which is the great Record of our Liberties the People's Rights and Priviledges are fetch'd purely from the Kings Grants and Donations viz. Of our free and meer Will we have given and granted to our Bishops and to all free men of our Realm these Liberties following And the higher we ascend in the Scale of Monarchy we find the King 's more unlimited and free There were no restrictions or reserves under the first and most Antient Governments no Laws but what lay in the Prince's Bosom as any Beardless Boy that has read Justin and Virgil can sufficiently inform him And 't will bring but little Glory to his Cause if I tell him that the first notorious Encroachment upon the Rights of Majesty in England were made by Popish Aggressors This was first attempted in the time of King William the First whom we commonly tho' perhaps not properly call the Conqueror But he was too wise and puissant to admit the least diminution of his Regality and tho' he was very generous and candid in his Concessions yet he dismiss't the Pope's Legate with an Alterum non Admisi In the Reign of Henry the Second Monarchical Power was at a low ebb indeed when the imperious and barbarous Monks of those times dealt with their Prince as some rude Heathens do by their Gods viz. chastise and whip 'em if they do not answer their insolent Expectations The Case of King John is too derogatory and sad for a true Loyal English-man to think on or to repeat And the Condition of Poor England in the time of Henry the Third is a fair indication of what pernicious importance it may prove to the Publick when Princes shall admit a Superior and controlling Power even in the softest acceptation of the Word Sir W. T. tells of an ingenious Spaniard he met at Brussels who would needs have it That the History of Don Quixot had ruined the Spanish Monarchy for when all the Love and Valour of the Spaniards was turn'd into Ridicule they began by degrees to grow asham'd of both and to laugh at Fighting and Loving What ill influence and impression this Fabulous and Romantick Account may leave behind it by representing persons and things sacred in a Ridiculous Garb and Colours I cannot yet determine However 't is good to make Provision against the worst and since an Apologue has had its good as well as evil effects I shall here confront one Fable with another It happen'd that a great sedition was in Rome and the common people were so incensed against the Senate Nobles and Rich Men that all things seem'd now to be a running into confusion Whereupon the Senate sent one Menenius Agrippa an eloquent and wise person to the multitude to persuade 'em Who being admitted amongst 'em and finding 'em all in a hurry is said to have Address'd himself to 'em after this manner Upon a time there arose a great Sedition among the Members of the Body against the Belly the eyes ears hands and feet said That they all of 'em perform'd their several Offices to the Body but the Belly doing nothing at all as a lazy King enjoy'd their Labours and idly consumed all those things which were purchased with the sweat of the rest The Belly replyed That indeed these things were true and therefore if it pleas'd them from henceforth they should allow it nothing The Members all agreed That nothing should be given to it for the time to come But when this had been observ'd for some little time the Hands and Feet lost their strength and all other Members began to fail so that at length they perceived That the Food which was given to the Belly was also advantagious to all the rest and upon this consideration they return'd to their Obedience Upon the hearing of this Fable the People understood That the Wealth which was in the hands of Great Men was also in some sort beneficial to themselves And upon some kind promises of the Senate they were reconciled to their Superiours It has not been my main business of late nor is it worth a thinking man's while to read o're the Licentious Histories that peep abroad or the Popular Accounts of things I knew nothing of the inside of the Account of Denmark till the Third Edition appeared upon the Stage about which time I was desir'd to make some Remarks upon it and give it a just Answer and Castigation Had I had more time and leisure for the performance I should perhaps have been more copious in my Animadversions but I hope I have said enough to tame a little the impertinence of that Man who had insulted over the Nobility Clergy and both Universities and made the Names of Princes his Sport I have bound him to some method and I hope to better Behaviour for the future and tho' I find little of Argument throughout the whole yet I have proceeded fairly and argumentatively against him I have plainly shewn That all the choice means and expedients used heretofore to destroy the Monarchy and Church are exactly transscrib'd by him and crowded into a Preface And certainly That man has a greater share of kind Nature than good Apprehension that can think he has singled out the same Antichristian Methods without the same black Intention and Design I know his Admirers have one Infallible way of answering all opposers and that is by Ill Names They have not Wit enough to discern the Reason of things nor know they when to laugh or be severe in the Right place If the Prefacer without Reason roul in hard words and Names such as Ideâ—t Ass Tyrant Nonsensical Blunders and the like it passes with 'em for the Mettle of a Pree-orn Subject But if we upon just provocation prove the same upon them O 't is sad scurrility and Railing They are meek lowly and poor in Spirit while they are sawcy to their Superiors and despise Dominion But 't is pride and crying presumption in us if we offer to correct a little snarling Republican If they trample upon Bishops and Blaspheme Kings They are only Zealous and concern'd for God and his Glory but if we expose the Scismatical Licentiousness of the disobedient Brother-hood O 't is rank Malice and a degree of persecution The World has ever been full of such pretious Judges and Arbitrators as these And we know the Pharisees were even this way