Page:Petty 1647 Advice to Hartlib.djvu/14

 Within the walls of this Gymnasium or College, should be a Nosecomium Academicum according to the most exact and perfect Idea thereof a compleate Theatrum Botanicum, stalls and Cages for all strange Beastes and Birds, with Ponds and Conservatories for all exotick Fishes, here all Animalls capable thereof should be made fit for some kind of labour and imployment, thaa they may as well be of use living as dead; here should be a Repositorie of all kind of Rarities Naturall and Artificiall pieces of Antiquity, Modells of all great and noble Engines, with Designes and Platformes of Gardens and Buildings. The most Artificiall Fountaines and Water-works, a Library of Select Bookes, an Astronomicall Observatory for celestiall Bodies and Meteor, large pieces of Ground for severall Experiments of Agriculture, Galleeries of the rarest Paintings and Satues, with the fairest Globes, and Geographcall Maps of the best descriptions, and so farre as is possible, we would have this place to be the Epitome or Abstract of the whole world. So that a man conversant within those walls, would certainly prove a greater Schollar, then the Walking Libraries so called, although he could neither write nor read. But if a Child, before he learned to read or write, were made acquainted with all Things, and Actions (as he might be in this Colledge) how easily would he understand all good Bookes afterwards, and smell out the fopperies of bad ones. As for the Situation, Modell, Policy Oeconomy, with the Number of Officers and Retainers to this Colledge, and the Priviledges thereof, it is as yet time enough to delineate. Only we wish that a Society of Men might be instituted as carefull to advance Arts as the Iesuites are to Propagate their Religion for the government and mannaging of it.

But what relish will there be in all those dainties whereof we have spoken, if we want a palate to tast them, which certainly is Health, the most desirable of all earthly blessings, and how can we in any reason expect Health, when there are so many great difficulties in the curing of diseases and no proportionable Course taken to remove them? we shall therefore pursue the Meanes of acquiring the Publicke Good and com-