Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/137

 Nature will reveal more of its Secrets to the English, than to others; because it has already furnish'd them with a Genius so well proportioned, for the receiving and retaining its Mysteries.

And now, to come to a Close of the second Part of the Narration: The Society has reduc'd its principal Observations, into one common Stock; and laid them up in publick Registers, to be nakedly transmitted to the next Generation of Men; and so from them, to their Successors. And as their Purpose was, to heap up a mixt Mass of Experiments, without digesting them into any perfect Model; so to this End, they confin'd themselves to no order of Subjects; and whatever they have recorded, they have done it, not as complete Schemes of Opinions, but as bare unfinish'd Histories.

In the Order of their Inquisitions, they have been so free, that they have sometimes committed themselves to be guided, according to the Seasons of the Year; sometimes, according to what any Foreigner, or English Artificer, being present, has suggefted; sometimes, according to any extraordinary Accident in the Nation, or any other Casualty, which has hapned in their Way. By which roving and unsettled Course, there being seldom any Reference of one Matter to the next; they have prevented others, nay even their own Hands, from corrupting or contracting the Work; they have made the raising of Rules and Propositions, to be a far more difficult Task, than it would have been, if their Registers had been more Methodical. Nor ought this Neglect of Consequence and Order, to be only thought to proceed from their Carelessness; but from a mature and well grounded Rh