studied ones. The reason whereof is, that those which are
rarest, doe often deceive, when we seldome know the same of the most
common ones, and that the circumstances on which they depend, are, as it
were, always so particular, and so small, that it's very uneasie to
finde them out. But the order I observed herein was this. First, I
endevoured to finde in generall the Principles or first Causes of
whatsoever is or may be in the world, without considering any thing for
this end, but God alone who created it, or drawing them elsewhere, then
from certain seeds of Truth which naturally are in our souls. After
this, I examined what were the first and most ordinary Effects which
might be deduced from these Causes: And me thinks that thereby I found
out Heavens, Starrs, an Earth; and even on the Earth, Water, Air and
Fire, Minerals, and some other such like things, which are the most
common, and the most simple of all, and consequently the most easie to
be understood. Afterwards, when I would descend to those which were more
particular, there were so many severall ones presented themselves to me,
that I did beleeve it impossible for a humane understanding to
distinguish the forms and species of Bodies which are on the earth, from
an infinite number of others which might be there, had it been the will
of God so to place them: Nor by consequence to apply them to our use,
unless we set the Effects before the Causes, and make use of divers
particular experiments; In relation to which, revolving in my minde all
those objects which ever were presented to my senses, I dare boldly say,
I observed nothing which I could not fitly enough explain by the
principles I had found. But I must also confesse that the power of
Nature is so ample and vast, and these principles are so simple and
generall, that I can observe almost no particular Effect, but that I
presently know it might be deduced from thence in many severall ways:
and that commonly my greatest difficulty is to finde in which of these
ways it depends thereon; for I know no other expedient for that, but
again to seek some experiments, which may be such, that their event may
not be the same, if it be in one of those ways which is to be exprest,
as if it were in another. In fine, I am gotten so far, That (me thinks)
I see well enough what course we ought to hold to make the most part of
those experiments which may tend to this effect. But I also see they
are such, and of so great a num