felves, I have at prefent reprefented unto the world a full and intended copy of that piece, which was most imperfectly and furreptitiously published before,

This I confefs, about seven years. paft, with fome others of affinity thereto, for my private exercise and fatisfaction, I had at leisure hours compofed; which being communicated unto one, it became common unto many, and was by transcription fucceffively corrupted, until it arrived in a most depraved copy at the prefs. He that fhall perufe that work, and fhall take notice of fundry particulars and perfonal expreffions therein, will eafily decern the intention was not publick: and being a priyate exercise directed to myself, what is delivered therein was ra

ther

ther a memorial unto me, than an example or rule unto any other : and therefore, if there be any fingularity therein correspondent unto the private conceptions of any man, it doth not advantage them; or if diffentaneous thereunto, it no way overthrows them, It was penned in fuch a place, and with fuch difadvantage, that, I protest, from the first setting of pen unto paper, I had not the affistance of any good book, whereby to promote my invention, or relieve my memory; and therefore there might be many real lapfes therein, which others might take notice of, and more that I fufpected myfelf. It was fet down many years past, and was the sense of my conception at that time, not an immutable law unto my advancing judg

There

judgment at all times; and therefore there might be many things therein plausible unto my past apprehension, which are not agreeable unto my prefent felf. are many things delivered rhetorically, many expreffions therein meerly tropical, and as they best illustrate my intention; and therefore also there are many things to be taken in a soft and flexible sense, and not to be called unto the rigid test of reason. Lastly, All that is contained therein, is in fubmiffion to maturer discernments; and, as I have declared, I shall no further father them than the best and learned judgments fhall authorize them: under favour of which confiderations I have made its fecrecy publick, and committed the truth thereof to every ingenuous reader. THO. BROWNE.

L I F FÉ

O F

Sir THO. BROWNE, Knt.

SIR

IR THOMAS was the eldest son of Mr. THOMAS BROWNE, merchant, defcended from an ancient family at Upton in Chefhire, and was born in the parish of St. Michael's, Cheapfide, London, the 19th of October, 1605. His father dying when he was very young, left him a handfome fortune, but his mother marrying foon after to Sir Thomas Dutton, he was left entirely to the care of his guardians, one of whom had the villainy to defraud him of a great part of his fortune. They fent him however to be educated at Wakeham's grammar-school, near Winchester, and in the year 1623 he was entered a commoner at Broadgates-hall, now called Pembroke-college, in the univerfity of Oxford. January the 31ft, 1626, he took the degrees of batchelor of arts, and afterwards that of mafter, entered on the phyfick line, and practifed that faculty in Oxfordshire for fome time.

He travelled afterwards into foreign countries, lived at Montpelier, Padua and Leyden, where he was made doctor of physick,

and

and, upon his return to England, took his degree of doctor at the university of Oxford, July the 10th, 1637 ; about which time, by the perfuafion of his tutor, Mr. Thomas Lufhington, he removed to Norwich, where he practifed phyfick with the greatest reputation and fuccefs.

The honour he had acquired by his excellent writings, not only gained him the esteem of his own countrymen who were famous for learning, but likewife thofe of foreign nations, with whom he correfponded, and who frequently applied to him for his opinion in fome nice points of learning; amongst these were Gruter, Windet, Theodore Jones of Ireland, &c. He was likewife peculiarly ferviceable to Sir William Dugdale, in his hiftory of imbanking and draining of divers fens and marshes, &c. publifhed in the year 1662. Neither was the honour of his practice confined to the narrow limits of the city where he lived, but gained him fo general a reputation, that the college of phyficians of the city of London complimented him with a Diploma, and, in honour to his memory, his picture is to be feen at this day in their college. About the latter end of September, 1671, King Charles II. being at Norwich, conferred the honour of knighthood upon him, with special affurances of his royal favour.

But to come to his writings. In the year 1642, he published this excellent treatise,

..1.