Experiments in consort of the luctation arising from the affusion of several menstruums upon all sorts of bodies to which is added the nature, causes, and power of mixture. Exhibited to the Royal Society. By Nehemiah Grew, M.D. and fellow of the Royal Society.

To the Right Honourable WILLIAM Lord Viscount BROVNCKER, PRESIDENT of the ROYAL SOCIETY.

My Lord,

ONE Reason why I dedi∣cate the fol∣lowing

Discourse to Your Lordship, is because by Your great and undeserved re∣spects, You have ob∣liged me to do no less. How much more I cannot say, unless I were able to com∣pute the value of Your obligation.

Another Reason, my Lord, is be∣cause I could not

but publickly return Your Lordship thanks, for minding the Roy∣al Society of so good a way, as they are lately resolved upon, for the management of a great part of their business. Where∣in, my Lord, I do more then presume, that I also speak the sense of the whole Society; I think,

not any one except∣ed.

I may with the same confidence inti∣mate, my Lord, how happy they account themselves, in having a Person so fit to preside their Affairs, as Your Lordship▪ The largeness of Your Knowledge, the ex∣actness of Your Judg∣ment, the evenness

of Your Comport; being some of those necessary Qualificati∣ons, which His Ma∣jesty had in His eye, (as right well un∣derstanding what He did) when He fixed His choice upon Your Lordship.

I know, my Lord, that there are some men, who have just so much understand∣ing,

as only to teach them how to be am∣bitious: the flatter∣ing of whom, is some∣what like the tick∣ling of Children, till they fall a dancing. But I also know, that Your Lordship unconcerneth your self as much, in what I even now spake; as Caesar did himself, when his Souldiers

began to style him King. For as he said, Non Rex, sed Caesar: so let Your Lordship be but once nam'd, and all that follows, is but a Tautology to what You are already known to be. Your being President of the Roy∣al Society, Your be∣ing the first that was chosen, and chosen

by so Wise a King; amounteth to so high and real a Panegy∣rick to Your Lord∣ship, as maketh ver∣bal ones to be su∣perfluous, and leaves them without any sound.

Whence, my Lord, I have a third Rea∣son most naturally e∣mergent; which is, that I dare to sub∣mit

my self, as to what I have here∣after said, to Your Lordships Censure. You being so able, and just an Arbiter, betwixt the same and all those persons there∣in concern'd; that You can neither be deceived, nor corrupt∣ed, to make a Judg∣ment in any Point, to the injury of either.

And truly, my Lord, were it only from a principle of self-interest, yet I could not desire it should be otherwise. For the World, if it lives, will certainly grow as much wiser then it is; as it is now wiser then it was heretofore. So that we have as little reason, to de∣spise

Antiquity; as we can have willing∣ness, that we our selves should be de∣spised by Posterity.

Yet some difference there is to be made; viz. betwixt those of all Ages, who have been modestly igno∣rant; and those who have thought, or pretended, that they were Omniscient. Or

if knowing and ac∣knowledging that they were ignorant; have yet not been content∣ed to be so; un∣less, with as good manners, as sense, they did conjure all Mankind, not to offer at the knowing any more then themselves.

Vpon the whole, my Lord, I desire not You should be

a Patron, any fur∣ther then You are a Judge. For if this small Essay hath deserved the least ac∣ceptance, I am sure, that in being one, You will be both. Whereby, my Lord, You will not a lit∣tle nourish and in∣spire my future en∣deavours of the like nature: being ve∣ry

sollicitous to ap∣prove▪ my self,

My Lord,

Your Lordships most faithful and obedient Servant, Nehemiah Grew.