A CENTURY OF THE NAMES AND SCANTLINGS OF SUCH INVENTIONS,

As at present I can call to mind to have tried and perfected, which (my former Notes being lost) I have, at the instance of a powerful Friend, endeavoured now in the Year 1655, to set these down in such a way, as may sufficiently instruct me to put any of them in practice.

——Artis et Naturæ proles.

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

Sir,

"Scire meum nihil est, nisi me scire hoc sciat alter," saith the poet, and I most justly in order to your Majesty, whose satisfaction is my happiness, and whom to serve is my only aim, placing therein my "summum bonum" in this world: be therefore pleased to cast your gracious eye over this summary collection, and then to pick and choose. I confess, I made it but for the superficial satisfaction of a friend's curiosity, according as it is set down; and if it might now serve to give aim to your Majesty how to make use of my poor endeavours, it would crown my thoughts, who am neither covetous nor ambitious, but of deserving your Majesty's favour, upon my own cost and charges, yet, according to the old English proverb, "It is a poor dog not worth whistling after." Let but your Majesty approve, and I will effectually perform to the height of my undertaking: vouchsafe but to command, and with my life and fortune I shall cheerfully obey, and maugre envy, ignorance and malice, ever appear

Your Majesty's Passionately-devoted, or otherwise disinterested Subject and Servant, WORCESTER.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL; AND TO THE KNIGHTS, CITIZENS, AND BURGESSES OF THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS: NOW ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT.

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

Be not startled if I address to all, and every of you, this Century of Summary Heads of Wonderful Things, even after the dedication of them to his most excellent Majesty, since it is with his most gracious and particular consent, as well as indeed no ways derogating from my duty to his sacred self, but rather in further order unto it, since your Lordships, who are his great Council, and you, Gentlemen, his whole kingdom's Representatives (most worthily welcome unto him) may fitly receive into your wise and serious considerations, what doth or may publicly concern both his Majesty and his tenderly-beloved people.

Pardon me, if I say, (my Lords and Gentlemen) that it is jointly your parts to digest to his hand, these ensuing particulars, fitting them to his palate, and ordering how to reduce them into practice, in a way useful and beneficial, both to his Majesty and his kingdom.

Neither do I esteem it less proper for me to present them to you in order to his Majesty's service, than it is to give into the hands of a faithful and provident steward, whatsoever dainties and provisions are intended for the master's diet; the knowing and faithful steward being best able to make use thereof to his master's contentment, and greatest profit, keeping for the morrow whatever should be overplus or needless for the present day, or at least to save something else in lieu thereof. In a word, (my Lords and Gentlemen,) I humbly conceive, this simile not improper, since you are his Majesty's provident stewards, into whose hands I commit myself, with all properties fit to obey you; that is to say, with a heart harbouring no ambition, but an endless aim to serve my King and Country: and if my endeavours prove effectual, (as I am confident they will,) his Majesty shall not only become rich, but his people likewise, as treasurers unto him; and his peerless Majesty, our King, shall become both beloved at home, and feared abroad; deeming the riches of a King to consist in the plenty enjoyed by his people.

And the way to render him to be feared abroad, is to content his people at home, who then with heart and hand are ready to assist him; and whatsoever God blesseth me with to contribute towards the increase of his revenues, in any considerable way, I desire it may be imployed to the use of his people; that is, for the taking off such taxes or burthens from them as they chiefly groan under, and by a temporary necessity only imposed on them; which being thus supplied, will certainly best content the King, and satisfy his people; which, I dare say, is the continual tend of all your indefatigable pains, and the perfect demonstrations of your zeal to his Majesty, and an evidence that the kingdom's trust is justly and deservedly reposed in you. And if ever Parliament acquitted themselves thereof, it is this of yours, composed of most deserving and qualified persons; qualified, I say, with your affection to your Prince, and with a tenderness to his people; with a bountiful heart towards him, yet a frugality in their behalfs.

Go on therefore chearfully (my Lords and Gentlemen) and not only our gracious King, but the King of Kings will reward you, the prayers of the people will attend you, and his Majesty will with thankful arms embrace you. And be pleased to make use of me and my endeavours to enrich them, not myself; such being my only request unto you, spare me not in what your wisdoms shall find me useful, who do esteem myself not only by the act of the Water-commanding Engine (which so chearfully you have past) sufficiently rewarded, but likewise with courage enabled to do ten times more for the future; and my debts being paid, and a competency to live according to my birth and quality settled, the rest shall I dedicate to the service of our King and Country by your disposals: and esteem me not the more, or rather any more, by what is past, but what's to come; professing really from my heart, that my intentions are to outgo the six or seven hundred thousand pounds already sacrificed, if countenanced and encouraged by you, ingenuously confessing, that the melancholy which hath lately seized upon me (the cause whereof none of you but may easily guess) hath, I dare say, retarded more advantages to the public service than modesty will permit me to utter: and now, revived by your promising favours, I shall infallibly be enabled thereunto in the experiments extant, and comprised under these heads, practicable with my directions by the unparalleled workman both for trust and skill, Caspar Kaltoff's hand, who hath been these five and thirty years as in a school under me employed, and still at my disposal, in a place by my great expences made fit for public service, yet lately like to be taken from me, and consequently from the service of King and kingdom, without the least regard of above ten thousand pounds expended by me, and through my zeal to the common good; my zeal, I say, a field large enough for you (my Lords and Gentlemen) to work upon.

The treasures buried under these heads, both for war, peace, and pleasure, being inexhaustible; I beseech you pardon me if I say so; it seems a vanity, but comprehends a truth; since no good spring but becomes the more plentiful by how much more it is drawn; and the spinner to weave his web is never stinted, but further inforced.

The more then that you shall be pleased to make use of my Inventions, the more inventive shall you ever find me, one invention begetting still another, and more and more improving my ability to serve my King and you; and as to my heartiness therein there needs no addition, nor to my readiness a spur. And therefore (my Lords and Gentlemen) be pleased to begin, and desist not from commanding me, till I flag in my obedience and endeavours to serve my King and Country:

Yet abstracting from any interest of my own, but as a fellow-subject and compatriot will I ever labour in the vineyard, most heartily and readily obeying the least summons from you, by putting faithfully in execution, what your judgments shall think fit to pitch upon amongst this Century of Experiments, perhaps dearly purchased by me, but now frankly and gratis offered to you. Since my heart (methinks) cannot be satisfied in serving my King and Country, if it should cost them any thing: as I confess when I had the honour to be near so obliging a master as his late Majesty of happy memory, who never refused me his ear to any reasonable motion: and as for unreasonable ones, or such as were not fitting for him to grant, I would rather to have died a thousand deaths, than ever to have made any one unto him.

Yet whatever I was so happy as to obtain for any deserving person, my pains, breath and interest imployed therein satisfied me not, unless I likewise satisfied the fees; but that was in my golden age.

And even now, though my ability and means are shortened, the world knows why my heart remains still the same; and be you pleased (my Lords and Gentlemen) to rest most assured, that the very complacency that I shall take in the executing your commands, shall be unto me a sufficient and an abundantly-satisfactory reward.

Vouchsafe therefore to dispose freely of me, and whatever lieth in my power to perform; first, in order to his Majesty's service; secondly, for the good and advantage of the Kingdom; thirdly, to all your satisfactions, for particular profit and pleasure to your individual selves, professing that in all and each of the three respects I will ever demean myself as it best becomes,

My Lords and Gentlemen,

Your most passionately bent fellow subject in his Majesty's service, com-patriot for the public good and advantage, and a most humble Servant to all and every of you,

WORCESTER.