kind of study, which certainly is very welcome to the Learned and
Inquisitive world, both for the _New discoveries_ in _Nature_, and the _New
Inventions_ of _Art_.

As to the _former_, the Attentive Reader of this Book will find, that there
being hardly any thing so small, as by the help of _Microscopes_, to escape
our enquiry, a new visible world is discovered by this means, and the Earth
shews quite a new thing to us, so that in every _little particle_ of its
matter, we may now behold almost as great a variety of creatures, as we
were able before to reckon up in the whole _Universe_ it self. Here our
Author maketh it not improbable, but that, by these helps the subtilty of
the composition of Bodies, the structure of their parts, the various
texture of their matter, the instruments and manner of their inward
motions, and all the other appearances of things, may be more fully
discovered; whence may emerge many admirable advantages towards the
enlargement of the _Active_ and _Mechanick_ part of knowledge, because we
may perhaps be enabled to discern the secret {28} workings of _Nature_,
almost in the same manner, as we do those that are the productions of
_Art_, and are managed by _Wheels_, and _Engines_, and _Springs_, that were
devised by Humane wit. To this end, he hath made a very curious _Survey_ of
all kinds of bodies, beginning with the _Point of a Needle_, and proceeding
to the _Microscopical_ view of the _Edges_ of _Rasors, Fine Lawn, Tabby,
Watered Silks, Glass-canes, Glass-drops, Fiery Sparks, Fantastical Colours,
Metalline Colours, the Figures of Sand, Gravel in Urine, Diamonds in
Flints, Frozen Figures, the Kettering Stone, Charcoal, Wood and other
Bodies petrified, the Pores of Cork, and of other substances, Vegetables
growing on blighted Leaves, Blew mould and Mushromes, Sponges, and other
Fibrous Bodies, Sea-weed, the Surfaces of some Leaves, the stinging points
of a Nettle, Cowage, the Beard of a wild Oate, the seed of the Corn-violet,
as also of Tyme, Poppy and Purslane._ He continues to describe _Hair, the
scales of a Soal, the sting of a Bee, Feathers_ in general, and in
particular those of _Peacocks; the feet of Flies; and other Insects; the
Wings and Head of a Fly; the Teeth of a Snail; the Eggs of Silk-worms; the
Blue Fly; a water Insect; the Tufted Gnat; a White Moth; the
Shepheards-spider; the Hunting Spider, the Ant; the wandring Mite; the
Crab-like insect, the Book-worm, the Flea, the Louse, Mit