TO THE

READER.

'Jy/A&.s-m.*

Fter what the Frontifiece and fVefi of this| Wooden Edifice presents you, I shall needno farther to repeat the Occasion of this' following Discourse : I am only to acquaintyou , That as it was deliver’d to the

ROYALSOCIETY by an unworthy Member there-of, in obedience to their Commands , by the fame it is nowpubliflfid without any further Prospect. And the Readeris to know, That if these dry flicl^s afford him any Sap,it is one of the least and meanejt of those Fieces whichare every day produc’d by that Illustrious Assembly , anwhich enrich their Collections, as so many Monuments otheir accurate Experiments , and Publique Endeavours, inorder to the production of real and useful Theories , thePropagation of Natural Science, and the honour of theirInstitution. If to this there be any thing sub joy n d here ,which may a while bespeak the patience of the R eader,it is only for the Encouragement of an Industry , and

worthy Labour, too much in our days neglected, as haplyesteem’d a consideration of too fordid and vulgar a na-ture for Noble Fcrsons and Gentlemen to busie themselveswithal, and who oftner find ways to fell down and de-stroy their Trees and Flantations , then either to repair oiimprove them.

But what shall I then fay of our late prodigiousSpoilers , whose furious devastation of so many goodlyWoods and Forests have left an Infamy on their Names andMemories not quickly to be forgotten I I mean our un-happy Usurpers, and injurious Sequeftrators ; Not hereto mention the deplorable necessities of a Gallant andLoyal Gentry, who for their Compositions were (many ofthem) compell’d to add yet to this Waste , by an inhu-mane and unparallel’d Tvrannv over i-hr-m tn

^“lainuer ot their Fortunes, and to find them