THE ARGUMENT. Vertue is Wisdom's light, Wisdom her love, That sees the graces branches of the tree, A POEM UPON THE PRAISE OF VERTUE. (*.*) The first daye's work. Oh, my dear Muse, that never could'st endure The hateful comforts of a hellish kind: But ever hast the love of Vertue near thee, Speak in her praise, that all the world may hear thee. Go, tell the greatest Monarch (where thou goest) She is a queen to fit his majesty ; And tell the wisest counsellor thou knowest, By her his wit hath greatest dignity: And tell the fairest, in her fairest grace, Foul is her fair, except she blush her face. Tell the Divine, she gives a glorious light Tell all the Arts, their studies are but idle, Tell Honour, that her title's but a tittle, Go, tell the world, more than the world can tell, But when her Grace doth to her glory fall: Oh, were she seen within the sacred sense * Two Poems of Nicholas Breton have been lately printed at the private press at Lee Priory, The Longing of a blessed Heart, and Melancholike Humours. Both of them, more especially the latter, which consists of twenty small poems, prove the poetical genius of Breton, whose copiousness of natura sentiment, and ease and elegance of language, are so eminent, and so well adapted to popularity, that the oblivion which has covered him is a matter of constant surprize to me. The Jevvel House of Art and Nature: containing divers rare and profitable Inventions, together with sundry new Experiments in the Art of Husbandry. With divers chimical Conclusions concerning the Art of Distillation, and the rare practises and uses thereof. Faithfully and familiarly set down, according to the Authour's own experience. By Sir Hugh Plat of Lincoln's Inne, Knight. Whereunto is added, A rare and excellent Discourse of Minerals, Stones, Gums, and Rosins; with the ver tues and use thereof. By D. B. Gent. London: printed by Barnard Alsop, and are to be sold at his house in Grubstreet, near the Upper Pump, 1653. 4to. pp. 232. "To the munificent Lover of all Learning, the Right Honour able Boulstroad Whitlock, one of the Lord Commissioners of the great Seal of England, &c. MY LORD, There is not any thing in nature so churlish to its self, which indeavoreth not to its own protection, it being the business and delight of Nature to protect her self. But to protect the Arts is a work (my Lord) which requires a head of honour, the depth of whose knowledge can understand their mysteries, and the height of whose dignities can countenance their merits. In this treatise your Honour shall finde lively represented how wonderfully Nature doth actuate, whether you look upon it as Nature naturing, which is God; or, Nature natured, which reflects onely on compounded bodies; and, as the philosophers do define, is the beginning of their motion, and their rest. Your Honour may here behold the latter in all her beauty; and observe how industrious is Art to work her up to her quintesence of perfection; from whence many inestimable treasures may be derived to advance as well the mind as the body of the creature, and to improve the glory of the Creator. My Lord, you have read that Art doth perfect Nature, which can never more properly be understood than in this sence; for although Nature appears a most fair and fruitful body, and as admirable in her variety as abundance; yet the Art, here mentioned, is as a soul to inform that body to examine and to refine her actions, and to teach her to understand those abilities of her own, which before lay undiscovered to her. My Lord, this is a subject which is worthy of the greatest and gravest apprehensions, and deserves the noblest patronage; by which your Honour shall obliege both Art and Nature; and more particularly him who is, My Lord, Your most humbly devoted servant, D. B." The Garden of Eden: or, an accurate Description of all Flowers and Fruits now growing in England, with particular Rules how to advance their Nature and Growth, as well in Seeds and Herbs, as the secret ordering of Trees and Plants. In two Parts. By that learned and great Observer, Sir Hugh Plat, Kt. The sixth Edition. London, printed for William and John Leake, at the Crown in Fleetstreet, betwixt the two Temple Gates, 1675. Small 8°. pp. 148. "To the honourable and most perfect Gentleman, Francis Finch, junior, of the Inner Temple, Esquire. SIR, You may please to pardon my forward inscribing this Book to your name. Were it a work of mine own composition, I should have thought on a meaner patron. But the memory of that learned Knight the Author (to whom I had so near alliance) may excuse this presumption. He was a great searcher after all sorts of knowledge, and as great a lover of it in all others. And I humbly conceiv'd I could not do him a higher service than by placing his Book under your protection, who are not more honour'd by those many noble families whence you are descended, than by that large portion of learning and vertue which have so enriched your noble mind: and rendred you precious to all that know you. I hope that candor and sweetness, which accompanies all your actions, will also shew it self in acceptation of this offering from him who is ambitious of no other title than, Sir, The most humble and most devoted of all those that honour you, CHARLES BELLINGHAM. The Publisher to the Reader. I shall not blush to tell you, I had some ambition to publish this Book, as well to do right to the learned Author, (my ever honoured kinsman) as to check their forwardness who were ready to violate so useful a work. There are some men (of great name in the world) who made use of this Author, and it had been civil to have mentioned his name who held forth a candle to light them to their desires; but this is an unthankful |