We have already seen many other great signs of Liberality and a
large mind, from the same hand: For by his _diligence_ about the
_Corporation for the Poor_; by his honorable _Subscriptions_ for the
rebuilding of St. Paul's; by his chearful _Disbursment_ for the replanting
of _Ireland_, and by many other such _publick works_, he has shewn by what
means he indeavours to _establish_ his Memory; and now by this last gift he
has done that, which became one of the _wisest Citizens_ of our Nation to
accomplish, seeing one of the _wisest of our Statesmen, the Lord Verulam_,
first propounded it.
But to return to my Subject, from a digression, which, I hope, my Reader
will pardon me, seeing the Example is so rare that I can make no more such
digressions. If these my first Labours shall be any wayes useful to
inquiring men, I must attribute the incouragement and promotion of them to
a very _Reverend_ and _Learned Person_, of whom this ought in justice to be
said, _That there is scarce any one Invention, which this Nation has
produc'd in our Age, but it has some way or other been set forward by his
assistance_. My Reader, I believe, will quickly ghess, that it is _Dr.
Wilkins_ that I mean. He is indeed a man born for the _good_ of _mankind_,
and for the _honour_ of his _Country_. In the _sweetness_ of whose
_behaviour_, in the _calmness_ of his _mind_, in the _unbounded goodness_
of his _heart_, we have an evident Instance, what the true and the
_primitive unpassionate Religion_ was, before it was _sowred_ by particular
_Factions.
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