Page images
PDF
EPUB

D.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

All the OBSCURE PASSAGES therein, never before published.

The TENTH EDITION carefully corrected.

EDINBURGH:

Printed by W. RUDDIMAN jun. and COMPANY; and fold by the Bookfellers in Town. M.DCC.LIV.

[blocks in formation]

A

LETTER

From the AUTHOR

To Sir KENELM DIGBY,

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

HONOURED SIR,

GIVE

IVE your fervant, who hath ever honoured you, leave to take notice of a book at present in the prefs, intitled, (as I am inform'd) Animadverfions upon a treatife lately printed, under the name of

Rea

Religio Medici; hereof, I am advertifed, you have condefcended to be the author. Worthy Sir, permit your fervant to affirm there is contained therein nothing that can deferve the reason of your contradictions, much less the candour of your animadverfions and to certify the truth thereof, that book (whereof I do acknowledge myfelf the author) was penned many years paft; and (what cannot efcape your apprehenfion) with no intention for the prefs, or the leaft defire to oblige the faith of any man to its affertions. But what hath more especially emboldened my pen unto you at present is, that the fame piece, contrived in my private ftudy, and as an exercife unto myfelf rather than an exercitation for any other, having paft from my

hand

hand under a broken and imperfect copy, by frequent transcription ftill 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 thefe times committed it unto the prefs; whence it iffued fo difguised, that the author without diftinction could not acknowledge it. Having thus mifcarried, within a few weeks I fhall, God willing, deliver unto the prefs the true and intended original, whereof, in the mean time, your worthy felf may command a view; fo that, when ever that copy fhall be extant, it will moft clearly appear how far the text hath been mistaken, and all obfervations, gloffes, or exercitations thereon, will, in a great

part,

« PreviousContinue »