THE ìREFACE... rec t,as incipae taws ; the Bookwas his at fiat, but byth s ftrange Meta- morphofis, the Publifher hathmade his own; Thattheworld therefore/may not be longer abufed by -a fbadow obtru- dedfor the`fiìbftance, hereisprefented' the'Authors Own Copy, reyifed and compared withdivers others manufèripts, which though it werenot perfec3ed byhimCelf, nor intended for a publick ufer;, yet being theonly Copy he had, as is acknowledged under his hand in-the t eginning of the Book, and containing many Marginal Notes, and alterations throughout the whole made by himfelf in his latter years, as itfaeriisy " it maywell be thought to contain the minci and fenceof theAuthor morefully, thanany of -those Copies inother hands. This coming into the hands of thofe, towhom the perufal of his papers were coínitted, who Was informed of the wrongdone by that other Eedition, and that a metéfperfe& oné'wás intended and defired, out of his love to the memoryof thedeceafed Author, and his zeal for thepublick good, confidering'of how greatufé the work might be, he was eafilyinduced topart with it ferrfogood apur= pofe, whereupon byan able, induftrious and worthy Gentleman, who bathotherwife defervedwell of the publick, and had fonie relation to the Author whilft he lived, thework was taken in hand and reviled, the ienfe inmany placesreftored, dsfe&s fupplied, and the whole difcourf brought into a farbetter form, than that wherein it hadformerly appear- ed. But confidering that to purge this Augean ftable, and to reftore a work fomuch corrupted, and wholebelt Copies were imperfe&, was no eafiework, and that it contained fuchvarietyofall kindof Learning, both Divine and Humane, that he who wouldrevile it, muff not be a ítranger to any, and that many Eyes may feemore than one, fuch was his Ingenu- ityand Modefty, that he waswilling anddefirous to have thewhole again reviled, and brought to the touch, by forceother, whoas he conceived, might have more leifure and abilities thanhim ; whereupon it was again refumed, and after much labour andtravail, was at length brought to this form, wherein it now appears : wherein, that the Reader may know what is performed in thisEdition, heíhall find. i. The true fence and meaning of the Author ( the chief thing to be looked after in the publifhing of other mens works) reftored in many thoufand places, which were corrupted and miftaken, wherby the Au- thor was made to (peakcontrary to what he thought, as if he had Peen Tome vifion after his death, to make him changehis Judgment in his life time. This, as it was a workof fo much difficulty, requiring Both time and Rudy, by diligent comparing of places, weighing of Antecedents, and Confequents, viewing feveral Copies, and confulting with the Au- thors quoted, &c. So theReader will find no final]. benefit thereby, arifing from this Edition. e a. The Method is here cleared, which was in a manner quite loft in the former Edition, and without which the Reader muff needs be in a Maze or Labyrinth. This being the chief help to memory, and conducing much to the underftanding of the matter. 3. Many Tautologies, and neediefs Repitions of the fame thing are here cut off, and thole many great defe&s, wherein divers Paragraphs, Pages, and whole Sheets were formerly wanting are fupplyed and ad- ded. ç. Where-
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