TO THE

READER.

C

ERTAINLY that man woul be greedy of life, who should defire to live when all the world was at an end; and he must needs be very impatient, who would repine at death in the society of all things that suffer under it. Had not almost every man suffered by the press, or were not the tyranny thereof become universal, I had not wanted reason for complaint: but in times wherein I have lived to behold the highest perverfion of that excellent invention, the name of his Majesty defamed, the honour of parliament deprad the writings of both depraved,

ly, anticipatively, and counterfeit

ly

TEDTER

From the AUTHOR

To Sir KENELM DIGBY.

Upon the information of animadver fions to come forth, upon the imperfect and furreptitious copy of Religio Medici, whilst this true one was going to press

21 HONOURED SIR,

Ive your servant, who hath ever honoured you, leave to take notice of a book at present in the press, intitled, (as I am inform'd) Animadversions upon a treatise lately printed, under the name of

Re

Religio Medici; hereof, I am adver tised, you have condescended to be the author. Worthy Sir, permit your fervant to affirm there is contained therein nothing that can de serve the reason of your contradictions, much less the candour of your animadversions: and to certify the truth thereof, that book (whereof I do acknowledge myself the author) was penned many years paft; and (what cannot escape your apprehenfion) with no intention for the press, or the least defire to oblige the faith of any man to its assertions. But what hath more especially emboldened my pen unto you at present is, that the same piece, contrived in my private study, and as an exercise unto myself rather than an exercitation for any other, having paft from my hand

hand under a broken and imperfect copy, by frequent transcription it still run forward into corruption, and after the addition of fome things, omiffion of others, and tranfpofition of many, without my affent or privacy, the liberty of these times committed it unto the press; whence it issued so disguised, that the author without diftinction could not acknowledge it. Наving thus miscarried, within a few weeks I shall, God willing, deliver unto the press the true and intended original, whereof, in the mean time, your worthy felf may command a view; so that, when ever that copy shall be extant, it will most clearly appear how far the text hath been mistaken, and all observations, glosses, or exercitations thereon, will, in a great part,