The Hartlib Papers

Reasons than theie could shew to themselves thereby procureing them to try diuerse Experiments & by changeing one Secret for another with the best Experienced Men that hee could meete withall; Hee has attained to such perfeccion of Knowledge in Husbandry & other gainefull Informaccions that I doe not doubt that if hee were countenanced & assisted according to the necessity of his [workes H deletes] <H: desires> hee will make good (by the blessing of God vpon his faithfull endeavours) in a notable degree all his promises & vndertakings. The Bookes of Experiments in Husbandry and Mineralls both printed & written seeme to bee written in a very rationall straine & are such as tend manifestly to the publicke Good in no small measure both in respect of the City & the whole Kingdome. I suppose that if all his Obseruaccions[H alters from Obseruaccion] & direccions (impertinent digressions & extravagancies being carefully avoided) were gathered together & made known to the world vnder your Lordships Patronage it would more satisfactorily appeare that the particular Knowledge therein layd open would very much conduce to the accomplishment of publique desires which are (or should bee) so to order things that henceforth the Citty & Kingdome may enjoy also his full & Racionall Happines, & that not only the present Inhabitants both King & People, but likewise their Posterities may [catchword: flourish]

flourish & liue in more plenty & prosperity than heretofore theie haue done, or without new improuements & industries are hereafter like to doe. Nor is there any feare of being misled by Credulity in this matter. Whose professed ayme & whole scope of his endeavours is to extirpate & thrust temerarius Credulity out of the world (if it were possible) & to plant true experimentall & vsefull Knowledge in the roome thereof. I vnderstand that 2 yeares agoe your Peticoner addressed himself likewise to the Great Councell of the Kingdome.   My Lord giue mee leaue in emulation of his Philantropicall enlargements to heighten or dilate my Affeccions in suggesting to your Vigilancy & Goodnesse that in the fittest season you would bee pleased to take occasion (being a Member of that Wise Senate) to moue effectually that a select Committee may once bee appointed not only to examine your Petitioners abilities & propositions more throughly, but also to platforme the founding of a Speciall House or Colledge for the [sayd H deletes] <H: sound> tryall & approued communicacion of all manner of solid & desirable Invencions & Experiments. I am confident that the embraceing & hearty promocion of these Mocions as it will discouer the excellency of that manifold trust reposed in that Honourable Assembly by the whole Kingdome; so it will bring a certaine & most inestimable benefit to all men of what degree soever which is <so> fully the principall & choicest ayme of all those that ever tooke vpon them to [catchword: make]

make Lawes that it hath bin affirmed not without good reason that all Lawes made against the [letters deleted] <H: General> Vtility are meere Nullities. Let it not seeme boldnes if I adde that to make wholsome Lawes for more particular Cases & to neglect or vndervalew Mocions of more large extent were so great an ouersight that to feare that this present so famous & so worthy a Meeting will fall into it were to question their faithfullnesse & wisdome as if theie were not willing or able to discerne how much it concernes them to giue due entertainement & encouragement to all such Intencions. The God of all Mercies & the Father of Light enable you more & more to serue the purposes of his Glory in the Citty & in the Affayres of the whole Kingdome that at last all your Consultations may end in the advancement of the Meeknesse[H capitalises] & Gentlenesse of Christ & for raysing of the thoughts of this Nacion to the great Things of Gods Councell & the Wayes[H capitalises]: of Vniversall Edificacion whereby the happines of the Jewes & the fullnes of the Gentiles will come in. Thus craving pardon for this prolixity & freedome I take humbly my leave remaining alwaies

and no more adoe. The contrary disposition<vertue> wee<I> have found in your Petitioner. For although hee bee not a professed Plowman yet wee perceiue clearly that by his studie in the night and labour in the day by perusing the Bookes formerly written of the same subject, by observation of the Practises of others in his travells, by acquainting himselfe with the most ingenious Men in the Kingdome, by shewing to divers Men better Reasons then they could show to themselves thereby procuring them to trie divers Experiments, and by changing one Secret for another with the Exp best Experienced Men that hee could meete withal; Hee has attained to such perfection of knowledge in Husbandry and other gaineful<Informations> transactions <accom^......> [word deleted] improvements that wee doe not doubt if hee were countenanced and assisted according <to the [word deleted] necessity of> his wishes, hee will make good (by the blessing of God vpon his faithful endeauours) in a notable degree all his promises and vndertakings. The Books of Experiments in Husbandry and Minerals

<both printed and written seeme to bee> [letters deleted] written in a very rational straine and are such as tend manifestly to the Publick Good in no small measure both in respect of the City and the whole Kingdome. <left margin, struck through: which hee your Petitioner hase published and not yet divulged Wee<I> suppose that if all his Observations and conceptions<directions> (impertinent digressions and extravagancies being carefully avoided) were gathered together and made known to the World under Your Lordships Patronage it would more satisfactorily appeare that the particular knowledge therein laid open would not a little <very much> conduce to the accomplishment of publick desires which are (or should be) so to order things that henceforth the City and Kingdome may enjoy <also> his full and rational Happines, and that not only the present Inhabitants both King and People but also <likewise> their Posterities may flourish and live in more plenty and outward Prosperity then heretofore they haue done, or without new improouements and in-

dustries are hereafter like to doe. Nor is there any feare of being misled by Credulity in this matter whose professed aime and whole scope of his endeauours is to extirpate and thrust temerarious Credulity out of the World (if it were possible) and to plant true Experimental and vseful knowledge in the roome thereof. Wee <I> understand that two years agoe your Petitioner addressed himselfe likewise to the Great Counsel of the Kingdome. My Lord giue vs<mee> leaue in emulation of his philantropical enlargements to heighten or dilate our better <my> affections in suggesting to your Vigilancy and Goodnes that in the fittest season You would bee pleased to take occasion (being a Member of that Wise Senate) to mooue effectually that a Select Committee may [(once?] bee appointed not only to Examine Your Petitioners abilities and <propositions concerning> towards desires more throughly but also to platforme the founding of a Special

House or Colledge for the sound triall and approued communication of all manner of solid <and desireable> Inventions and Experiments. Wee are <I am> confident the embraceing <the embraceing> and thorough advancement <hearty promotion> of these Motions as they<it> will discouer the excellency <if displayed>> of that manifold trust reposed in that Honourable Assembly by the whole Kingdome, so they <it> will bring a certaine and most inestimable benefit to all Men of what degree soeuer the [word deleted] which is so fully the ground<principal and choicest> aime of all those that ever tooke vpon them to make Lawes that it hath beene affirmed not without good reason that All Lawes made against the General Vtility are meere Nullities. Let it not seeme boldnes if wee<I> adde that to make wholesome Lawes for more Particular Cases and to neglect or vndervalew Motions of more large Extent were so great an over sight that to feare that this

present so famous and so worthy a Meeting will fall into it were to question their faithfulnesse and Wisdom[altered] as if they were not willing or able to discerne how much it concernes them to give due entertainment and encouragement to all such intentions. Thus beseeching The God of all Mercies and the Father of Lights to enable you more and more to serve the purposes of his Glory in the City and <in> the Affaires of the whole Kingdome that at last they <all Your Consultations> may end in the advancement of the Meekeness and Gentlnes of Christ and for raising of the thoughts of this Nation to the greater things of Gods Counsel and the Wayes of Vniversall Edification wherby the happines of the Jewes and the fulnes of the Gentiles will come in. Thus craving pardon

for this prolixity and freedome <I take humbly my leave> [letters deleted] remaine alwaies