Volume 5

The works of the Honourable Robert Boyle. In six volumes. To which is prefixed the life of the author / [by T. Birch].

  • Robert Boyle
Date:
1772
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of the Honourable Robert Boyle. In six volumes. To which is prefixed the life of the author / [by T. Birch]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    46/1052 page 40
    x] G6 34 ra & c a. c rn c Lal ¢ Ou € n 46 Ce € Cal ¢ nn al n n n s The LIFE of the honourable Rosurt Boyut. any fuch trafcendent excellency, as could oblige me either to bolt heaven againit, or open Newgate for all thofe, that believe they may be faved under another. Wherefore I mutt confefs, it would be extremely my fatisfaction, if I could fee, by God’s bleffing, your pious endeavours of twifting our froward parties into a moderate and fatisfactory reconcilement, as fuccefsful, as I am confident they will be prudent and unwearied. As for our upftart fectaries (mufhrooms of the laft night’s {pringing up) the worft part of them, if not exafperated by,- inftead of lighting them into the right way with the candle, flinging the candleftick at their heads, like Fenab’s gourd, {mitten at the root with the worm of their irrationality, will be as fudden in their decay, as they were hafty in their growth; and indeed perhaps the fafeft way to deftroy them is rather to let them die, than attempt to kill them.” : | Own the 8th of the fame month he wrote the following letter to Mr. Hartlid. “© Dear Mr. Harithd, ¢ - T was very needlefs in your laft to make apologies for the glad parliamentary. | news you began your letter with ; for befides that its goodneis authorifes its na- ture, and were able to prefer fo pleafing a difobedience to the moft exa&t compli- ance with my defires; befides this, I fay, you intereft yourfelf fo much in the Invifible College, and that whole fociety is fo highly concerned in all the accidents of your life, that you can-fend me no intelligence. of your own affairs, that does not (at leaft rationally) affume the nature of Usopiaw. And truly, Sir, for my parti- cular, had you been to coin and fhape news, not fo much to inform, as to delight me, you could fcarce have made choice of any, that were more welcome, either to my wifhes for their own particular fatisfaction, or. for thofe that I dedicate to the not a direct tendency to its own, and which, by the higheft expreffions of gratitude for your fervice to it, does ‘but enable your zeal to multiply and continue them, The phrafes of the ordinances (which thefe alone of yours have brought me into charity with again) were indeed extremely civil in refpect of thofe that framed them; and yet but barely juft in regard of him for whom they were defigned. Certainly the taking notice of, and countenancing men of rare induftry and publick elected by the moft. And therefore we may evidently obferve thofe common- wealths (as the Hollanders and the Venetian) to be the moft happy and the moft flourifhing, where ingenuity is courted with the greateft encouragements. Mr. fall's unmerited elogium of me I muft in juftice afcribe rather to his civility, than to his opinion; to the former of which I am alfo redevable for a very handfome complimental letter, he was lately pleafed to honour me with, to which*] fhall-re- queft a fpeedy conveyance of the inclofed (though unfuitable) anfwer, and a belief, that I hit it not amongft the leaft of your favours, to procure me the acquaintance of a perfon, that treading antipodes to the ftrain of his contemporaries, has Sep- *« My fenfe of his propofitions concerning the College I muft neceffarily fufpend, till a more exquifite information of the particulars of his whole defign. Only b moderate in the point of pecuniary duties, you can fcarce be too tender in tafking young collegiates as to the duties of the brain, fince they being all of them to be , ‘* perfons
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3