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THE LIFE OF

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cians, for the excellent Remains they have cither left behind them in Print?or adorn’d the Tables with, in reading. Amongst which, the useful Inven-tion of Logarithms, as it was wholy a Britijh Art, so here especially receiv’dgreat Additions : and likewise, the whole Doctrine of Magneticks, as it wasof English Birth, so by the Professors of this Place was augmented by the fil^Invention and Observation of the Mutation of the magnetical Variation ; 3Thing, I confess, as yet crude, yet what may prove of Consequence in Phi'losophy, and of so great Use, possibly to the Navigator, that thereby W emay attain the Knowledge of Longitudes, than which, former Industry hathhardly left any Thing more glorious to be aim’d at in Art.

And now since the Professorship I am honour'd with, is a Benefit I enjoffrom this City, I cannot conclude without a good Omen to it. I must need 5‘celebrate it, as a City particularly favour’d by the Celestial Influences, a Pasdora , on which each Planet hath contributed something; Saturn hath give 11it Diuturnity, and to reckon an earlier Æra ah Urbe conditd than Rome ft'self. Jupiter hath made it the perpetual Seat of Kings, and of CourtsJustice, and fill’d it with inexhausted Wealth. Mars has arm’d it wi^Power. The Sun looks most benignly on it, for, what City in the Wo^so vastly populous, doth yet enjoy so healthy an Air, so fertile a Soil? Vei$hath given it a pleasant Situation, water’d by the most amæne River of W'rope ; and beautify d with the external Splendor of Myriads of fine Building 5 'Mercury hath nourisli’d it in mechanical Arts and Trade, to be equal wi^any City in the World ; nor hath forgotten to furnish it abundantly wftj 1liberal Sciences, amongst which I must congratulate this City, that I find in 11so general a Relish of Mathematicks, and the liber a philosophies, in such 5Measure, as Is hardly to be found in the Academies themselves. Lastly,Moon, the Lady of the Waters seems amorously to court this Place:

" At que urbern magis omnibus unam" Posthabita coluifj'e Delo,

For to what City doth she invite the Ocean so far within Land as here? Cos 1 'municating by the Thames whatever the Banks of Maragnon or Indusproduce, and at the Reflux warming the frigid Zones with our Cloth; #;sometimes carrying and returning safe those Carines that have encompawthe whole Globe. And now since Navigation brings with it both Weal*Splendor, Politeness and Learning, what greater Happiness can I wish to $Londoners ? Than that they may continually deserve to be deem’d as forntf s 'ly, the great Navigators of the World ; that they always may be, what ^Tynans first, and then the Rhodians were call’d, " The Masters of the Sel>and that London may be an Alexandria, the establish’d Residence of Mi#’'matical Arts.

Sect. XL p

ZII. Lond.1667.

. Extracts from the ConclusionHistory of the

of the second Part of Dr. S p r a ? 5Royal Society, &c.

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I N the whole Progress of this Narration , I have been cautious tobear commending the Labours of any private Fellows of thep or this, I need not make any Apology to them; feeing it would ^ {been an inconsiderable Honour, to be prais’d by so mean a Writer: f fnow I must break this Law, in the particular Cafe of Dr. Christ°rWren : for doing so, I will not alledge the Excuse of my Friendship qhim; though that perhaps were sufficient; and it might well be alD^me to take this Occasion of publishing it: But I only do it, on the & e ^