Dedication

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THOMAS, EARL OF PEMBROKE AND MONTGOMERY, BARON HERBERT OF CARDIFF LORD ROSS, OF KENDAL, PAR, FITZHUGH, MARMION, ST. QUINTIN, AND SHURLAND;

To the Right Honourable Thomas, Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, Baron Herbert of Cardiff, Lord Ross, of Kendal, Par, Fitzhugh, Marmion, St. Quintin, and Shurland.

LORD PRESIDENT OF HIS MAJESTY’S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL; AND LORD LIEUTENANT OF THE COUNTY OF WILTS, AND OF SOUTH WALES.

Lord President of His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, and Lord Lieutenant of the County of Wilts and South Wales.

This Treatise, which is grown up under your lordship’s eye, and has ventured into the world by your order, does now, by a natural kind of right, come to your lordship for that protection which you several years since promised it. It is not that I think any name, how great soever, set at the beginning of a book, will be able to cover the faults that are to be found in it. Things in print must stand and fall by their own worth, or the reader’s fancy. But there being nothing more to be desired for truth than a fair unprejudiced hearing, nobody is more likely to procure me that than your lordship, who are allowed to have got so intimate an acquaintance with her, in her more retired recesses. Your lordship is known to have so far advanced your speculations in the most abstract and general knowledge of things, beyond the ordinary reach or common methods, that your allowance and approbation of the design of this Treatise will at least preserve it from being condemned without reading, and will prevail to have those parts a little weighed, which might otherwise perhaps be thought to deserve no consideration, for being somewhat out of the common road. The imputation of Novelty is a terrible charge amongst those who judge of men’s heads, as they do of their perukes, by the fashion, and can allow none to be right but the received doctrines. Truth scarce ever yet carried it by vote anywhere at its first appearance: new opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common. But truth, like gold, is not the less so for being newly brought out of the mine. It is trial and examination must give it price, and not any antique fashion; and though it be not yet current by the public stamp, yet it may, for all that, be as old as nature, and is certainly not the less genuine. Your lordship can give great and convincing instances of this, whenever you please to oblige the public with some of those large and comprehensive discoveries you have made of truths hitherto unknown, unless to some few, from whom your lordship has been pleased not wholly to conceal them. This alone were a sufficient reason, were there no other, why I should dedicate this Essay to your lordship; and its having some little correspondence with some parts of that nobler and vast system of the sciences your lordship has made so new, exact, and instructive a draught of, I think it glory enough, if your lordship permit me to boast, that here and there I have fallen into some thoughts not wholly different from yours. If your lordship think fit that, by your encouragement, this should appear in the world, I hope it may be a reason, some time or other, to lead your lordship further; and you will allow me to say, that you here give the world an earnest of something that, if they can bear with this, will be truly worth their expectation. This, my lord, shows what a present I here make to your lordship; just such as the poor man does to his rich and great neighbour, by whom the basket of flowers or fruit is not ill taken, though he has more plenty of his own growth, and in much greater perfection. Worthless things receive a value when they are made the offerings of respect, esteem, and gratitude: these you have given me so mighty and peculiar reasons to have, in the highest degree, for your lordship, that if they can add a price to what they go along with, proportionable to their own greatness, I can with confidence brag, I here make your lordship the richest present you ever received. This I am sure, I am under the greatest obligations to seek all occasions to acknowledge a long train of favours I have received from your lordship; favours, though great and important in themselves, yet made much more so by the forwardness, concern, and kindness, and other obliging circumstances, that never failed to accompany them. To all this you are pleased to add that which gives yet more weight and relish to all the rest: you vouchsafe to continue me in some degrees of your esteem, and allow me a place in your good thoughts, I had almost said friendship. This, my lord, your words and actions so constantly show on all occasions, even to others when I am absent, that it is not vanity in me to mention what everybody knows: but it would be want of good manners not to acknowledge what so many are witnesses of, and every day tell me I am indebted to your lordship for. I wish they could as easily assist my gratitude, as they convince me of the great and growing engagements it has to your lordship. This I am sure, I should write of the UNDERSTANDING without having any, if I were not extremely sensible of them, and did not lay hold on this opportunity to testify to the world how much I am obliged to be, and how much I am,

This treatise has grown under your lordship’s eye and entered the world at your direction. So it now comes to you, by a kind of natural right, for the protection you promised several years ago. I do not think any name at the beginning of a book, however great, can hide its faults. Printed works must stand or fall by their own worth, or by the reader’s taste. But nothing matters more to truth than a fair, unbiased hearing. No one is more likely to secure that hearing for me than your lordship. You are widely recognized as knowing truth intimately, even in her most hidden places. Your reflections on the most abstract and general knowledge have gone far beyond ordinary understanding and common methods. Your approval of this treatise’s purpose will therefore at least keep it from being condemned unread. Your approval will also encourage readers to weigh some parts that depart somewhat from familiar paths. Otherwise, those parts might perhaps seem unworthy of any consideration. Being accused of novelty is terrible among people who judge minds as they judge wigs: by the fashion. Such people accept only established doctrines as right. Truth has hardly ever won a majority anywhere when it first appeared. New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, simply because they are not already widely held. But truth, like gold, is no less genuine for being newly brought out of the mine. Testing and examination must establish its worth, not any old fashion. Although truth may not yet carry the stamp of public approval, it may still be as old as nature. It is certainly no less genuine. Your lordship can offer powerful and convincing examples whenever you choose to share some of your broad, far-reaching discoveries. You have discovered truths previously unknown except to a few people from whom you have not entirely concealed them. Even without any other reason, those discoveries alone would justify dedicating this Essay to your lordship. The Essay also has some slight connection with parts of your greater and more extensive system of knowledge. You have outlined that system in a way that is so new, precise, and instructive. If you permit me to boast, I consider one thing honor enough. Here and there, I have arrived at thoughts not wholly different from yours. If you think fit to encourage this work’s publication, I hope its appearance may eventually prompt you to go further. Allow me to say that you are giving the world an advance promise of something truly worth waiting for. That promise is yours to fulfill, if readers can put up with this work. This, my lord, shows what kind of gift I offer you. It resembles a poor man’s basket of flowers or fruit, offered to his rich and powerful neighbor. The neighbor welcomes the gift, although his own garden produces far more, and of much better quality. Worthless things gain value when offered as signs of respect, esteem, and gratitude. You have given me such great and special reasons to feel all three toward you in the highest degree. Suppose those feelings can add value to a gift in proportion to their own strength. Then I can confidently boast that I offer your lordship the richest gift you have ever received. Of one thing I am certain. I have the strongest obligation to take every opportunity to acknowledge the long series of favors you have shown me. Those favors were great and important in themselves. Yet your readiness to help, concern, kindness, and all the other gracious circumstances always accompanying them made them much greater. You are pleased to add something that gives all the rest still greater weight and sweetness. You continue to grant me some measure of your esteem and a place in your good thoughts. I almost said your friendship. My lord, your words and actions show this regard constantly, even to others when I am absent. So mentioning what everyone knows is not vanity on my part. Rather, failing to acknowledge your regard would be bad manners. So many people witness it and tell me daily how much I owe you for it. I wish they could help me express my gratitude as easily as they convince me of my growing obligations. Of this I am certain: I would be writing about the UNDERSTANDING without having any understanding myself unless I deeply felt those obligations. Nor could I let this opportunity pass without telling the world how much I am bound to be, and am,

Your Lordship’s most humble and most obedient servant,

Your Lordship’s most humble and obedient servant,

2 Dorset Court, 24th of May, 1689

2 Dorset Court, 24 May 1689