Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/463

 a mighty Income. So near is Mankind to its Happiness, that so great an Attempt may be plentifully endow'd by a small part of what is spent on any one single Lust, or extravagant Vanity of the Time. So moderate is the Society in their desires of Assistance, that as much Charity as is bestow'd in England in one Year, for the relief of particular Poverty and Diseases, were enough for ever to sustain a Design, which endeavours to give Aid against all the Infirmities and Wants of human Nature.

If now this Enterprize shall chance to fail for want, of Patronage and Revenue, the World will not only be frustrated of their present Expectations, but will have just ground to despair of any future Labours, towards the increase of the Practical Philosophy. If our Posterity shall find, that an Institution so vigorously begun, and so strengthen'd by many signal Advantages, could not support itself; they will have reason in all times to conclude, That the long barrenness of Knowledge was not caus'd by the corrupt Method which was taken, but by the Nature of the Thing itself. This will be the last great Endeavour that will be made in this way, if this shall prove ineffectual; and so we shall not only be guilty of our own Ignorance, but of the Errors of all those that come after us.

But if (as I rather believe and presage) our Nation shall lay hold of this Opportunity, to deserve the applause of Mankind, the force of this Example will be irresistibly prevalent in all Countries round about us; the State of Christendom will soon obtain a new Face: while this Halcyon Knowledge is breeding, all Tempests will cease; the Oppositions and Contentious Wranglings of Science, falsly so call'd, will soon Rh