The Hartlib Papers

For your designe of Woorke &Alme houses I thinke it a blessed wo woork woorke, but that other concerning the excise I looke vpon it rather to quenche our presente fire &will therefore (I conceiue) dese deserue your presente thowghts &indeauors, for yf rightly imbursed &disbursed it will woorke miracles; I showlde be glad to heare of your pro proceedinges in them bothe as allsoe of your salt saltepeeter busines; I am glad you vndertake for Mr Dury as for a man totally for peace not at all for persecution; For his Scripturall Analisis I haue some reasons of late to thinke that he muste (like planters) looke to the future, &this I apprehende from those Herculean pillars which men make to themselues by confininge posibilty. the to theire <narrowe> vnderstandinge &truly I finde it farre mored difficulte to reduce a man from this ouerweeninge to soe muche sobriety as to giue but an orderly audience, then hauinge gained

Sir William Waller had lefte this Cownty before I receiued your letter, nor in truthe haue I muche intereste in him

I concurre with Mr Dury in his opinion howe muche you are like to deserue from the Prince Elector &what I nowe write I shall take occasion to say bothe to others &to the Prince Elector himselfe, But (to be free with you in what I showlde be glad to be mistaken) I finde him not ballasted[altered] for that greate woorke that may one day perhaps be caste vpon him excepte to beare fill the chaire &carry the name of busines, be sufficiente which, of successiue <princes> (in my opinion (I confesse) longe agoe) hathe beene cownted the beste vse; &in these thowghts I hold sus successiue monarchy the beste of gouernments

I hope I haue nowe cured you of your cowrteships &compliments &that

                    Your affectionate frind

                         Cheney Culpeper

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Iuly 22^th

     45:

          For Mr Hartlib

          at Dukes place