'Tis a _Fatality_ and an _Injury_ to be deplored, that those who give us _hard words_, will not first vouchsafe _impartially_ to _examine_ these _particulars_; since all _Ingenuous Spirits_ could not but be abundantly _satisfied_, that this _Illustrious Assembly_ has not met so many _Years_ purely for _Speculation_ only; though I take even _that_ to be no ignoble _Culture_ of the _Mind_, or time mispent for Persons who have so few _Friends_, and slender _Obligations_, to those who should _Patronize_ and _Encourage_ them: But they have aimed at _greater things_, and _greater things_ produc'd, namely, by _Emancipating_, and freeing themselves from the _Tyranny_ of _Opinion_, _delusory_ and fallacious shews, to receive nothing upon _Trust_, but bring it to the _Lydian Touch_, make it pass the _Fire_, the _Anvil_ and the _File_, till it come forth perfectly _repurged_, and of consistence.
They are not hasty in _concluding_ from a _single_, or _incompetent_ number of _Experiments_, to pronounce the _Ecstatic Heureca_, and offer _Hecatombs_; but, after the most diligent _Scrutiny_, and by degrees, and wary _Inductions_ _honestly_ and _faithfully_ made, to _record_ the _Truth_, and event of _Tryals_, and transmit them to _Posterity_.

They resort not immediately to _general Propositions_, upon every _specious appearance_; but stay for _Light_, and Information from _Particulars_, and make Report _de Facto_, and as _Sense_ informs them.

They reject no _Sect_ of _Philosophers_, no _Mechanic_ Helps, _except_ no _Persons_ of Men; but chearfully embracing _all_, cull out of _all_, and alone _retain_ what abides the _Test_; that from a plentiful and well furnish'd _Magazine_ of true _Experiments_, they may in time advance to solemn and established _Axiomes_, _General Rules_ and _Maximes_; and a _Structure_ may indeed lift up its head, such as may stand the shock of _Time_, and render a solid accompt of the _Phaenomena_, and _Effects_ of _Nature_, the _Aspectable Works of God_, and their _Combinations_; so as by _Causes_ and _Effects_, _certain_ and _useful_ Consequences may be deduced.

Therefore they do not fill their _Papers_ with _Transcripts_ out of _Rhapsodists_, _Mountebancs_, and Compilers of _Receipts_ and _Secrets_, to the loss of Oil and Labour; but as it were, _eviscerating_ Nature, disclosing the _Ressorts_, and Springs of _Motion_, have _collected_ innumerable _Experiments_, _Histories_ and _Discourses_; and brought in _Specimens_ for the Improvement of _Astronomy_, _Geography_, _Navigation_, _Optics_; all the Parts of _Agriculture_, the _Garden_ and the _Forest_; _Anatomy_ of _Plants_, and _Animals_; _Mines_ and _Ores_; _Measures_ and _AEquations_ of _Time_ by accurate _Pendulums_, and other Motions, _Hydro_- and _Hygrostatics_, divers _Engines_, Powers and _Automata_, with innumerable more _luciferous_ particulars, subservient to human life, of which Dr._Glanvil_ has given an ample and ingenious _Accompt_ in his learned Essay: And _since_ in the _Posthumous_ Works of Dr._Hooke_, lately publish'd by the most obliging Mr._Waller_, already mention'd.
This is (_Reader_) what they have done; and they are but _part_ of the _Materials_ which the _Society_ have hitherto _amassed_, and prepared for this great and _Illustrious Work_; not to pass over an infinity of _solitary_, and loose _Experiments_ subsidiary to it, gathered at no small Pains and Cost: For so have they hitherto born the _Burden and Heat of the day alone_; _Sapping_ and _Mining_ to lay the _Foundation_ deep, and raise a _Superstructure_ to be one day perfected, by the joint _Endeavours_ of those who shall in a _kinder_ Age have little else to do, but the _putting_ and _cementing_ of the _Parts_ together, which to _collect_ and fit, have cost them so much Solicitude and Care.

_Solomon_ indeed built the glorious _Temple_; but 'twas _David_ provided the _Materials_: Did Men in those days insolently ask, _What he had done_, in all the time of that tedious preparation?
I beseech you what _Obligation_ has the _R.