The Hartlib Papers

Honoured Sir/             Dublin Castle 9^b 16^th /58

     Yesterday I received yours of the 9^th, but have not yet received the Mysterie of Iesuitisme, which has made me send another expostulatory letter to Dr Worth. Dr Gorges sayes the bookes were directed to him without any addition of my name, & Mr. Masters sending no letter with them, he knew not from whom they came. I had told him about 2 months before that I expected to receive some bookes which would be directed to him, but did not tell him what they were. So soon as I can get the Mysterie of Iesuitisme it shall be presented, & we will endeavour to improve that opportunity for your advantage. My Lord Broghill is in the country 100 miles off, but one my Lord esteemes very much & may I beleeve do you more good then any man. Dr Harrison is your servant & thankes for the little booke. I have not Mrs Hills way for making her several Kinds of cheese like those of Chesheer, Cheddar &c but that which seemed to me remarkable was, that her cowpasture being being generally but leane & rie-land, she should afford [3 words deleted] the materialls for such excellent cheese of so many sorts, whose diversitie therefore must be attributed only to the good huswifes imitation of the severall wayes of cheese.making practised in those several counties. The Art it selfe of making cheese is not very antient in the world; its mentiond but twice as I remember in the scriptures, & in both those places seemes <only> rather to signifie curdled milke

You would not have me be discouraged if many particulars should seeme strange at first unto me: But that which perhaps may seeme strange to you, is, that I I am so far from thinking any thing strang in Mr Potters papers, that I conceive I perfectly understand every particular therein, that is admitting the thing done which he supposes, & I thinke I am not altogether ignorant of his very way, though my thoughts thereof be yet very rude & confused & his in comparison of those cleer & distinct apprehensions which Mr Potter by long & much thinking has of it. but I am most willing & ready to comply with your desires of engaging my selfe seriously in this affaire, & shall very contentedly serve Mr. Potter what I can therein; & shall as you propose make severall objections, not out of dislike but to procure from him more full satisfaction both to my selfe & others (engaging myself to the greatest secrecy) that thereby the designe may be made the more intelligible: but it would be very improper to make <objections> to any part till the whole worke appeare altogether, or at least the maine designe, which of it selfe must needs cleer many doubts & scruples, which being proposed unduly & before a man understand all, [must?] needs <cannot but> appeare rather like cavills then solid objections. but I suppose by the next the business may come to an head, & then I shall fall seriously to worke upon it, & accordingly send you my distinct thoughts thereof.

In the meane time you need not impart to him what I now write, till I send you something that may be to purpose, which I hope to do so soon as I receive what he drives at. If this Designe should come to be put in practice, it must needs make very great alterations in the affaires of Europe, beyound perhaps what we can now imagine. But that Mr Potters way, at least so far as I apprehend it will prove applicable to small money, I do much doubt, but however I shall be very glad to see what he can say to that too: his ingenuity who has studied so much the true nature of money, may possibly afford something extraordinary to that point also. touching which I have had severall thoughts, which if they ripen duely I shall hereafter communicate unto you. I am of Mr M Potters mind, that Mr Blundau's way (which your Herefordsheer friend proposes for small money which I <also> once thought upon) will not quit cost, or if it do, that it would also be liable to counterfeiting, as I conceive any way will at length, that relates only to the forme of the coyne, though <some> wayes may prove at least for a while more difficult then others to imitate. I would gladly understand from you how far from London Mr Potter lives, & what his employment is. &c all shall be faithfully kept secret by

               Your real friend & servant

                                     Robert Wood

P:S:

     A frend of mine in the country desired me to send him a Catallogue <of such> of those bookes published by you Either in husbandry or or otherwise, as are most ingenious & best worth his reading. wherein I would entreat the favour of directons from yourself

                                        R.W.

               Wood

     For his worthy and

      much honoured friend

          Samuel Hartlib Esq

          at his house over

          against Angel Court

               at

                 Charing cross

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                     London

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