Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/443

 will not confine this Observation to one single Author, though he was one of the first and most artificial Managers of this way of Wit. I will venture to declare in general of the English Tongue, that as it contains a greater Stock of natural and mechanical Discoveries, so it is also more enrich'd with beautiful Conceptions, and inimitable Similitudes, gather'd from the Arts of Men's Hands and the Works of Nature, than ever any other Language could produce.

And now 1 hope what I have here said will prevail something with the Wits and Railleurs of this Age, to reconcile their Opinions and Discourses to these Studies: for now they may behold that their Interest is united with that of the Royal Society; and that if they shall decry the promoting of Experiments, they will deprive themselves of the most fertil Subject of Fancy: and indeed it has been with respect to these terrible Men, that I have made this long Digression. I acknowledge that we ought to have a great Dread of their Power: I confess I believe that new Philosophy need not (as Cæsar) fear the pale or the melancholly, as much as the humorous and the merry: For they perhaps by making it ridiculous because it is new, and because they themselves are unwilling to take pains about it, may do it more Injury than all the Arguments of our severe and frowning and dogmatical Adversaries.

But to gain their good Will, I must acquaint them, that the Family of the Railleurs is deriv'd from the same Original with the Philosophers. The Founder of Philosophy is confess'd by all to be Socrates; and he also was the famous Author of all Irony. They ought therefore to be tender in this matter, wherein the Honour of their common Parent is concern'd: it Rh