The appeal of iniured innocence, unto the religious learned and ingenuous reader in a controversie betwixt the animadvertor, Dr. Peter Heylyn, and the author, Thomas Fuller.

CHAP V. The Second Generall Answer. That many, especially MEMORY Mistakes and Pen-slips, must be ex∣pected in a great Volume.

IT is the Advantage of a Small Book, that the Authors Eye may in a manner be Incumbent at once over it all, from the Beginning to the End thereof; a Cause why they may be more exactly corrected. A Garden hard by ones House is easier Weeded and Trimmed, than a Field lying at some distance; Books which swell to a great Volume, cannot be spun with so even a Thread, but will run courser here and there; yea, and have Knots in them sometimes, whereof the Author is not so sensible as the Reader; as the Faults in Children are not so soon found in them by their own Fathers, as by Strangers. Thus the Poet; Verum opere in Longo Fas est obrepere somnum.

As for MEMORY-MISTAKES, which are not the Sleeping bnt Winking of an Author, they are so far from overthrowing the Credit of any Book, as a speck, (not paring-deep) in the rind of an apple, is from proving of the same rotten to the core.

Yea, there want not learned Writers▪ whom I need not name) of the Opinion that even the Instrumental Pen-men of the Scripture might commit 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; though open that window to profaneness, and it will be in vain to shut any dores; Let God be true, and every man a lyer: However, I mention their judgments to this purpose, to shew that Memory-mistakes have not been counted such hainous matters, but venial in their own nature, as not only finding but deserving pardon.

I confess when such mistakes become common and customary in an Author, they mar the credit of his Book, and intollerably abuse the Reader. Nothing is lighter in it self than a single crumb of Sand, yet many of them put together are the heavyest of bodily burdens: Heavier than the * 1.1 Sand on the Sea. What is slight in it self, if nume∣rous, will become ponderous; but I hope that Memory-mistakes and Pen-slips in my Book will not be found so frequent; and desire the benefit of this Plea to be allowed me but four times, in my Answer to the Animadvertor. A Number low enough, I hope, for the Ingenuous Reader to grant, though perchance too high for me to request.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Job 6.3.