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Rh Or, what can be more delightful for an English Man to consider, than that notwithstanding all the late Miseries of his Country, it has been able in a short Time so well to recover it self, as not only to attain to the Perfection of its former Civility, and Learning, but also to set on foot a new Way of Improvement of Arts, as great and as beneficial (to say no more) as any the wittiest or the happiest Age has ever invented?

But besides this, I can also add, in my Defence, that though the Society, of which I am to write, is not yet four Years old, and has been of necessity hitherto chiefly taken up, about preparatory Affairs; yet even in this Time, they have not wholly neglected their principal End, but have had Success, in the Trial of many remarkable Things; of which I doubt not, but I shall be able, as I pass along, to give Instances enough to satisfy the Curiosity of all sober Inquirers into Truth. And in short, if for no other End, yet certainly for this, a Relation of their first Original ought to be expos'd to the View of Men: That by laying down, on what course of Discovery they intend to proceed, the Gentlemen of the Society may be more solemnly engag'd, to prosecute the same. For now they will not be able, handsomely to draw back, and to forsake such honourable Intentions; when the World shall have taken notice, that so many prudent Men have gone so far, in a Business of this universal Importance, and have given such undoubted Pledges of many admirable Inventions to follow.

I shall therefore divide my Discourse into these three general Heads.

Rh