INSIGNISSIMO VIRO D M

D n ° RI C A R D O MEAD,

Archiatro Regio

S. P. D.

Samuel J e b b.

A N N1 jam fere tres effluxere , Vir Pr<eclar'tfflme> exquo, te hortante ■ maxime , ad Fratris Roger i Baconiopera edenda animum applicuerim . Graviter quidemserebas , pro singulari tuo in literatorum monumenta studio &

amore , quod qua uno ore eruditi omnes laudajsent tanquam e-

gregie /cripta , tw/re* pr-rvatos tjz-tarundam Bibliothecarum

cancellos abdita laterent , paucissimorum manibus terenda .Haud multa sane in lucem prodiere , quamplurima licet re-censuerint a Lelandusy b Balteus , 0* c Pitseus ; ---s-

nuscripta autem supererant exemplaria , dispersa Ö5*

inter varios erant pojsesores distributa , «2 eorum copia nonfine summa difficultate potuerit haberi ; /V f/ww accedit

incommodi , quod scriptorum aliquot Baconi nomine insignita ,spuria aut saltem dubia , authenticis ejusdem operibus non

facile fuerint distinguenda. Licet igitur me tanto oneri vix pa-rem fore crediderim, tamen cum tibi dignum visum fuerit, ut

* Viri tamen eruditijsmi, Dom. K. Digby Eques y G. Latigbain Celleg. Regln, apud Oxo-niinjes prapofitus, suadente J. Seldeno, oiim Baconi opera in lucem edere in se susceperunt , uttx eorum literis constat ad Seldenum datis, quas jnecum humanissime communicavit vir claris-simus Dominus Edv. But ton Armig. Your Coilections concerning Bacon I (hall print beforehis Works, under your Name. Ep. MS. D ni K. Digby ad J. Seiden. Paris, dat. Feb.n. 1637. When I ha ve heretofore made report to forne judicious Friends of leveral paf-sages in Fryar Bacon'% Epistle to Pope Clement, which I perceive is the fame vrith what youcall De utilitate scientiarum, they were yery much taken with them, and Suitors to me for aPublication. Ep. DG. Langbain ad J. Seiden. 1653. Jan. 30. I am very much en-courag’d by your last to refume thofe ihoughts, which I had laid aside, of publifhmg thatpiece of Roger Bacon. Ejusd. Ep. ad Seiden. Feb. 9. 1653. That later Copy is of so le-gible a hand, as, unlefs I receive a countermand from you, I (hall not long sorbear to getit tranfcribed with a purpofe to print all together, for I judge it well deferves to be morspublick. Ep. ad Seiden. Feb. 20. 1653. b Comment, ds fcript. Britann. p. 258.

c Cent. iv. cap. 55. 4 jTt. 13. p. 367,

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