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1669.

xviii

The LIFE of

intitled, RELIGIO MEDICI, which he was
obliged to upon account of a fpurious co-
py fent to the prefs, and in his preface
greatly complains of the errors of that copy.
In the year 1643, a tract was published,
intitled, 'Obfervations upon RELIGIO ME-
'DICI, occafionally written by Sir Kenelm
'Digby, Knt.'
Another edition of which
was printed at London in 1644. The ge-
neral commendation Sir Kenelm gives of
this curious piece, may be seen in his ob-
fervations here bound together with the o-
riginal work.

In the year 1645, an answer to RELISGIO MEDICI was published by Alexander Rofs, under the title of Medicus medicatus: or, The phyfician's religion cured by a le'nitive or gentle potion,' &c. But this met with a very indifferent reception from the publick. About the fame time annotations upon the most obfcure paffages therein were published by an unknown hand, and not long after, the RELIGIO MEDICI was tranflated into latin by Mr. John Merryweather, master of arts, of Magdalen-college in Cambridge, who, from the different fentiments entertained abroad of this book, met with fome difficulty to have his tranflation printed at Leyden in Holland, three feveral booksellers or printers, Haye, de Vogel, and Christian refufing it; but was at length printed by Hackius, who undertook it after two days deliberation. The tran

flator had the fatisfaction to find his version re-printed at Strasburg in 1652, with Latin annotations, by Levinius Nicolaus Moltkius, a German, who informs us, in his preface, that the book itself, which is tranflated into French, Italian, German, Dutch, &c. has been much admired by the learned and curious. All these particulars fhew in what esteem this book was, by the defire every nation had to read it in their own language. The authors of the acta eruditorum, in the first volume of their fupplement, published at Leipfick in 1692, pafs this judgment upon it, That it is full of excellent precepts, among which are inferted some paradoxes.'"

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Befides the RELIGIO MEDICI, our author published another book at London, anno 1646, intitled, PSEUDODOXIA EPIDEICA; or, Enquiries into very many re'ceived tenets, and commonly prefumed 'truths; or, 'Enquiries into common and vulgar errors? The fixth edition whereof in 1673 was enlarged by the author, with many explanations and alterations. Father Niceron in his memoirs, Pour fervir a l'hiftoire des hommes illuftres, gives this character of it, that it is an excellent work, and contains a variety of curious obfervations. A tranflation of it was published in Highdutch, anno 1680, by Chriftian Nor, Baron' of Rofeuroth, under the name of Christopher Paganius. Alexander Rofs finding that no notice was taken of his remarks upon

RELIGIO

RELIGIO MEDICI, publifhed others equally trifling upon the PSEUDODOXIA EPIDEMICA, under the title of Arcana microcofmi; or, The hidden fecrets of man's body dif 'covered,' anno 1652. This book was likewife anfwered by Dr. John Robinson a phyfician, anno 1656, in a tract intitled, Eudoxa, feu queftionum quarundam mifcellanearum examen probabile; which met with the fame fate as that of Alexander Rofs.

In the year 1658, our author published another treatise, intitled, HYDRIOTAPHIA; or, 'A difcourfe of fepulchral urns, lately found in Norfolk. Wherein he gives an account of the manner of burning dead bodies among the Romans, Britains, Saxons and Danes, together with the garden of Cyrus, or the quincuncial lozenge, or network. plantations of the ancients, artificially, naturally, and myftically confidered, with fundry obfervations.

Another book was likewife publifhed, anno 1657, under our author's name, intitled, 'Nature's cabinet unlock'd, wherein is dif covered the natural caufes of metals, stones, precious earths,' &c.

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The following is Dr. Wood's character of it; A dull worthlefs thing, ftole for the moft part from the phyficks of Magirus by a very ignorant perfon, a plagiary fo ignorant and unfkilful, that not diftinguifhing lavis and levis in the faid Magirus, he · hath told us of the liver, that one part of

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it is gibbous, and the other light; and yet had the confidence to call this fcribble, Nature's cabinet unlocked; an arrogant and fanciful title, of which our author's 'true humility would no more have fuffered him to be father, than his great learning could have permitted him to have been the author of the faid book.'

Befides thofe published by himfelf, three others have been printed fince his death. First his mifcellany tracts, published from our author's manufcripts, by Dr. Thomas Tenifon, late archbishop of Canterbury; containing, 1. Obfervations upon several plants mentioned in fcripture. 2. Of garlands, and coronary or garden plants. 3. Of the fishes eaten by our faviour with his dif ciples after his refurrection. 4. An answer to certain queries relating to fishes, birds and infects. 5. Of hawks and faulconry, ancient and modern. 6. Of cymbals and other mufical inftruments. 7. Of ropalick, or gradual verfes. 8. Of languages, particularly the Saxon. 9. Of artificial hills, mounts and boroughs in many parts of England: what they are, to what end raised, and by what nations. 10. Of Troas, what place is meant by that name; alfo the fituation of Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboim in the dead fea. 11. Of the, anfwers of the oracle of Apollo at Delphos to Crafus king of Lydia. 12. A prophecy concerning the future ftate of feveral nations. 13. Musœ

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um claufum; or, Bibliotheca abfcondita; containing fome remarkable books, antiquities, pictures, and raritics of several kinds, scarce ever seen by any man now living.

The second was printed in the year 1716, intitled, Christian morals, by Sir Thomas Browne of Norwich, M.D. and author of the RELIGIO MEDICI, published from the original and correct manuscript of the author, by John Jeffery, D. D. archdeacon of Norwich, The third pofthumous work of his is a collection of pieces, containing 1. Repertorium; or, The antiquities of the cathedral church of Norwich, 1680. 2. Some letters which paffed between Mr.Dugdale and Dr. Browne, anno 1658. 3. An account of Ireland, anno 1662. 4. Concerning fome urns found in Brampton-field in Norfolk, anno 1667. 5. A, gainst the too nice curiofity of cenfuring the prefent, or judging into future difpenfations. 6. Upon reading Hudibras. 7. A letter to a friend upon the death of his intimate friend.

He wrote a treatife likewife, intitled, De lucis caufa & origine, in a letter to Isaac Voffius, with whom he had a difpute upon that fubject; printed at Amfterdam in 1663. and criticised on Voffius's work, de natura & proprietate lucis, wherein he strongly maintains Des Cartes hypothefis. He also wrote an apology for the Cartefian philofophy, in oppofition to a divine named Vogelfang.

Thus

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