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sophy excludeth decussations, and needles transversely placed do naturally distract their verticities? Why Geomancers do imitate the Quintuple Figure, in their Mother Characters of Acquisition and Amission, &c., somewhat answering the Figures in the Lady or speckled Beetle? With what Equity, Chiromantical conjecturers decry these decussations in the Lines and Mounts of the hand? What that decussated Figure intendeth in the medall of Alexander the Great? Why the goddesses sit commonly crosse-legged in ancient draughts, Since Juno is described in the same as a veneficial posture to hinder the birth of Hercules? If any shall doubt why at the Amphidromicall Feasts, on the fifth day after the Childe was born, presents were sent from friends, of Polipusses and Cuttle-fishes? Why five must be only left in that Symbolicall mutiny among the men of Cadmus ? Why Proteus in Homer the Symbole of the first matter, before he setled himself in the midst of his Sea-monsters, doth place them out by fives? Why the fifth years Oxe was acceptable Sacrifice unto Jupiter? Or why the Noble Antoninus in some sence doth call the soul itself a Rhombus ? He shall not fall on trite or triviall disquisitions. And these we invent and propose unto acuter enquirers, nauseating crambe verities and questions over-queried. Flat and flexible truths are beat out by every hammer; but Vulcan and his whole forge sweat to work out A chilles his armour. A large field is yet left unto sharper discerners to enlarge upon this order, to search out the quaternios and figured draughts of this nature, and moderating the study of names, and meer nomenclature of plants, to erect generalities, disclose unobserved proprieties, not only in the vegetable shop, but the whole volume of nature; affording delightful Truths, confirmable by sense and ocular Observation, which seems to me the surest path, to trace the Labyrinth of Truth. For though discursive enquiry and rationall conjecture, may leave handsome gashes and fleshwounds; yet without conjunction of this expect no mortal or dispatching blows unto errour.

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But the Quincunx1 of Heaven runs low, and 'tis time to close the five ports of knowledge; We are unwilling to spin out our awaking thoughts into the phantasmes of sleep, which often continueth præcogitations; making Cables of Cobwebbes, and Wildernesses of handsome Groves. Beside Hippocrates2 hath spoke so little, and the Oneirocriticall3 Masters, have left such frigid Interpretations from plants, that there is little encouragement to dream of Paradise itself. Nor will the sweetest delight of Gardens afford much comfort in sleep; wherein the dulnesse of that sense shakes hands with delectable odours; and though in the Bed of Cleopatra, can hardly with any delight raise the ghost of a Rose.

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Night which Pagan Theology could make the daughter of Chaos, affords no advantage to the description of order: Although no lower then that Masse can we derive its Genealogy. All things began in order, so shall they end, and so shall they begin again; according to the ordainer of order and mystical Mathematicks of the City of Heaven.

Though Somnus in Homer be sent to rowse up Aga-
memnon, I finde no such effects in these drowsy ap-
proaches of sleep. To keep our eyes open longer were
but to act our Antipodes. The Huntsmen are up in
America, and they are already past their first sleep in
Persia. But who can be drowsie at that howr which
freed us from everlasting sleep? or have slumbering
thoughts at that time, when sleep itself must end, and
as some conjecture all shall awake again.

1 Hyades, near the Horizon about midnight, at that time.
2 De Insomniis.

4 Strewed with roses.

8 Artemidorus et Apomazar.

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THE STATIONER TO THE READER

I CANNOT omit to advertise, that a Book was published not long since, Entituled, Natures Cabinet Unlockt, bearing the name of this Authour: If any man have been benefited thereby this Authour is not so ambitious as to challenge the honour thereof, as having no hand in that Work. To distinguish of true and spurious Peeces was the Originall Criticisme, and some were so handsomely counterfeited, that the Entitled Authours needed not to disclaime them. But since it is so, that either he must write himself, or Others will write for him, I know no better Prevention then to act his own part with lesse intermission of his Pen.

CHRISTIAN MORALS

PUBLISHED FROM THE ORIGINAL AND CORRECT MANU

SCRIPT OF THE AUTHOR;

BY JOHN JEFFERY, D.D.

ARCHDEACON OF NORWICH.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

DAVID, EARL OF BUCHAN,

VISCOUNT AUCHTERHOUSE, LORD CARDROSS AND GLENDOVACHIE, ONE OF THE
LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF POLICE, AND LORD LIEUTENANT OF THE
COUNTIES OF STIRLING AND CLACKMANNAN, IN NORTH BRITTAIN.

MY LORD, The Honour you have done our Family Obligeth us to make all just Acknowledgments of it: and there is no Form of Acknowledgment in our power, more worthy of Your Lordship's Acceptance, than this Dedication of the Last Work of our Honoured and Learned Father. Encouraged hereunto by the Knowledge we have of Your Lordship's Judicious Relish of universal Learning, and sublime Virtue; we beg the Favour of Your Acceptance of it, which will very much Oblige our Family in general, and Her in particular, who is,

My Lord,

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