The Hartlib Papers

Title:Letter, Sir Cheney Culpeper To Hartlib
Dating:16 August 1648
Ref:13/237A-238B
View full size
[13/237A]

Mr Hartlib,
          your letter laste weeke (by my false superscription) wente to Mr Westroe; (I hope) ¬ to Mr Boys; I reste [letters deleted] confidente that (by this) my error is (vpon the deliuery of the letter) discouered &the letters exchanged between you,    In that laste weekes letter to you i did (vpon some passages in your former letters from mr Petty) desire that hee wowlde take his owne liberty, eyther of [letters deleted] goinge on to perfecte the Engine for Agriculture; or of quittinge the further thowghts of it, I doe nowe againe (vpon your laste weekes letter) reiterate the same thowghts, yet still soe, as that (in what is eyther paste or to come), I may bear the whole charge, &mr Petty to be at noe other expence then <of> his time &thowghts, which (whether the thinge proue or noe) I shall holde more valwable then a little mony; &therefore muste (after all) still remaine his [letters deleted] debter for his kindenes; I writte allsoe in my laste, that yf Mr Petty wente forwarde with it I showlde (vpon your intimation) take order for suche proportion of mony as shall be farther wantinge, &this I am still ready (vpon your summons) to doe doe; As for the consequences of the engine, in case it proue, I am stil moste confidente of them; &shall therefore (as I haue formerly expressed my selfe) not spare my purse yf Mr Petty shall thincke goode to contribute his
View full size
[13/237B]

his thowghts, yet still soe as to leaue him to his liberty, in case it coste him more, then, he accowntes the thinge woorthe; yf yf the Scottes, Northerne, &Essex affayres ende well; I shall not feare but the Citty will at laste returne towards theire former Intereste; yet And yf the Citty be once righted, the Reformadoes will not continue soe trowble some, &the marriners (by the Citties ingagemente of them in the[altered from theire] behalfe of trade) will be reduced, thowgh[altered from thowght] I holde this ho laste, of the marriners, to be the woorst busines that haue befallen the Parliament, &yet not incurable, yf the parliamenteeres, can (according to Saint Paule) thowgh of differente judgementes, holde the vnity of the Spirite in the bonde of peace; I dare say that the charity of men, of differente [letters deleted] judgementes ( <in> bearing with one another) is the hygheste pointe of Christianity <between man &man>, - The greateste of them is Charity; But I dare withall say, that it is allsoe beste prudence, &that it was by that one rule cheefely (of bearing with one another thowgh of differente judgemente) that our nayghbor prouinces, haue succeeded soe well againste theire Tirante; And, it is true that the King of Spaine had his natiue Kingdome, still entire, &the treasure of the
View full size
[13/238A]

Indies to boote, againste a <fewe &> contemptible prouinces, but yf wee the Parliament [word deleted] wowld study theire I true Intereste of vnion, by the vnitinge or accommodatinge[altered] of all Interests, the Intereste of the 2: Nations in a Parliamentary vnion, eache nation sendinge delegates to the Parliament accordinge to theire contribution towards publique charges; the Intereste of Religions or opinions <within the nation> by a harmelesse liberty granted to <all> suche, as shall cordially joine in the true Nationall Intereste but aboue all the Intereste of the People in a power of consultinge &establishinge (from time to time) theire owne happines, by the major parte of a frequente, powerfull, &freely chosene Representatiue, yf these Interestes <(I say)> were helde forthe, it wowld strike a greater coldenes to the hearts of the Common enimy, then Cromwells swoorde, I pray (yf Mr Boyles be come to towne) remember me concerning the [letters deleted] treatise of the clouer seede
I am glad (as I write in my laste) for what is (probably) like to happen to mr Woorsly &Morian, but yet I conceiue that thowghe the Menstruum vniversale be gained, there remaines yet the greateste difficulty, of puttinge it in to motion, &I apprehende that that woorke consiste not in any one matter, but in a way of puttinge nature in nat into motion in any matter [left margin:] For calor et siccitus (saythe Treuisan) sunte in excitatione sua sulphure; - Quum excitationem (saythe Zengiuode) nouerante viri philosophi[altered]; Naturall heate is sulphur indeede, but it muste be vnderstoode in its excitation; Farewell:          CC
--------
Aug: 16:
   48
View full size
[13/238B]

          For Mr Hartlib
          at Dukes place
               London