To his honoured friend Master
Samuel Hartlib.
SIR,
I Have had many flying thoughts, concerning the Advancement of Reall Learning in generall, but particularly of the Education of Youth, Mathematicks, Mechanicks, Physick, and concerning the History of Art and Nature, with some more serious ones concerning your owne most excellent advices for an Office of Publick addresse. And indeed they were but flying thoughts, for seeing what vast summes were requisite to carry on those designes, and how unwilling or unable men generally were to contribute towards them, I thought it but labour lost to fix my mind much upon them.
But it having pleased God unexpectedly, to make me the Inventor of the Art of Double Writing, daily and hourly usefull to all sorts of Persons in all places of the world, and that to perpetuity, I conceived that if there were understanding enough in Men to be sensible of their own good, and Thankfulnesse or honesty enough to reward the Contrivers of it, such Meanes might be raised out of this Art as might at least set the aforementioned Designs on float, and make them ready to set saile toward the haven of perfection upon every opportunity of stronger gales. And thereupon I
