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the genius of their Age, fight about the Manna. Near them are Men, gathering Manna in the mean time, and eating thereof. A little farther off, appears a Girle, who unwilling to take the pains of stooping, holds out her coat to receive the Manna falling down, and looks on it, as if the Heavens dropp'd it for none but her: Which well expresseth (says the observer) the Softness and disdainful Temper of that Sexe, which loves not to take pains, and imagines that all must come to pass, as they wish. In the other piece, which exhibits the Recovery of the Two Blind men, to whom our Saviour restored their Sight, there is an Old man, who comes very near, peeping, and looking as if he doubted of the truth of the Miracle: in which the Artist hath well observ'd the genius of Aged persons, who commonly are more incredulous and diffident than others.
Besides this, there are examin'd here and there in these Conferences divers Questions important in Painting; which would be too long to particularise in this place.
THis Author first taketh notice, that though most Nations have been diligently endeavoring to render a good account of Time (having its Original and Progress from the Motions of the Heavens) yet casting his Eyes upon some of the most famous Chronologers, as Scallger, Petavius, &c. he found Chronology obscur'd with many intricate Questions, fll'd with many knotty Controversies, stuffed with a multitude of uncertain Comments, and deliver'd in such an odd and dark method, that the knowledg thereof was not to be obtain'd without much difficulty, and loss of Time. Whereupon he declareth his Design to be, To deliver the same from Controversy, and only to treat of what concerns meerly the Distinction of Time, omitting matters of less concernment, and yet nothing of what may he requisite to Chronology it self; in which he (truly) asserts, That
