most effectual means, to inlarge the Inventions: whose Nature is such, that it is apt to increase, not only by mens beholding the Works of greater, but of equal, nay of less Wits than themselves.
Sect. XL. The Conclusion of this Part.In the whole progress of this Narration, I have been cautious to forbear Commending the labours of any Private Fellows of the Society. For this, I need not make any Apology to them; seeing it would have been an inconsiderable Honour, to be prais'd by so mean a Writer: But now I must break this Law, in the particular case of Dr. Christopher Wren: For doing so, I will not alledge the excuse of my Friendship to him; though that perhaps were sufficient; and it might well be allow'd me to take this occasion of Publishing it: But I only do it on the meer consideration of Justice: For in turning over the Registers of the Society, I perceived that many excellent things, whose first Invention ought to be ascrib'd to him, were casually omitted: This moves me to do him right by himself, and to give this separate Account of his indeavours, in promoting the Design of the Royal Society, in the small time wherein he has had the opportunity of attending it.
The first instance I shall mention, to which he may lay peculiar claim, is the Doctrine of Motion, which is the most considerable of all others, for establishing the first Principles of Philosophy, by Geometrical Demonstrations. This Des Cartes had before begun, having taken up some Experiments of this kind, upon Conjecture, and made them the first Foundation of his whole System of Nature: But some of his Conclusions seeming very questionable, because they were only deriv'd from the gross Trials of Ballsmeeting
