ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA. P. 107, 1. 14. Keck thinks that by Nero Sir T. B. meant Tiberius, "whose name was Nero too," viz. Tiberius Claudius Nero Cæsar; but perhaps it is more probable that he simply confused the two Emperors. P. 119, 1. 28. at last, A, B, C, M; probably all the other old edd. have at least. This reading, and also the punctuation of p. 120. ll. 22, 23, are discussed in Notes and Queries, 1880, vol. ii., pp. 245, 451. P. 267. In the note on p. 63, 1. 11, Sir T. B.'s lost or projected Dialogue between two unborn infants is called a "whimsical conceit," and treated as a mere jeu d'esprit. It may have been so, and so Wilkin in his note on this passage appears to have taken it; but upon further consideration it seems more likely to have been a serious, philosophical attempt to "handsomely illustrate our ignorance of the next world (Urn Burial, ch. 4) by the inability of the unborn infants to understand the condition of this. Χαλεπὸν ἄνθρωπον ὄντα μὴ διαμαρτάνειν ἐν πολλοῖς, τὰ μὲν ὅλως ἀγνοήσαντα, · ὰ δὲ κακῶς κρίναντα, τὰ δὲ ἀμελέστερον γράψαντα. (Galen, De Compos. Medicam. sec. Loc. ii. 1. tom. xii. p. 535.) MEDIC I. The Eighth Edition, Corrected and Amended. WITH ANNOTATIONS Never before Published, Upon all the obfcure paffages therein. ALSO OBSERVATIONS By Sir KENELM DIGBY, LONDON, Printed for R. Scot, T. Baffet, J. Wright, R. Chifwell, 1682. TO THE READER. CERTAINLY that man were greedy of Life, who should desire to live when all the world were at an end; and he must needs be very impatient, who would repine at death in the society of all things that suffer under it. Had not almost every man suffered by the Press, or were not the tyranny thereof become universal, I had not wanted reason for complaint: but in times wherein I have lived to behold the highest perversion of that excellent invention, the name of his Majesty defamed, the Honour of Parliament depraved, the Writings of both depravedly, anticipatively, counterfeitly imprinted; complaints may seem ridiculous in private persons; and men of my condition may be as incapable of affronts, as hopeless of their reparations. And truely, had not the duty I owe unto the importunity of friends, and the allegiance I must ever acknowledge unto truth, prevailed with me, the inactivity of my disposition might have made these sufferings continual, and time, that brings other things to light, should have satisfied me in the remedy of its oblivion. But because things evidently false are not onely printed, but many things of truth most falsly set forth, in this latter I could not but think my self engaged: for, though we have no power to redress the former, yet in the other the reparation being within our selves, I have at present represented unto the world a full and intended Copy of that Piece, which was most imperfectly and surreptitiously published before. This, I confess, about seven years past, with some others of affinity thereto, for my private exercise and satisfaction, I had at leisurable hours composed; which being communicated unto one, it became common unto many, and was by Transcription successively corrupted, untill it arrived in a most depraved Copy at the Press. He that shall peruse that work, and shall take notice of sundry particularities and personal expressions therein, will easily discern the intention was not publick; and, being a private Exercise directed to my self, what is delivered therein, was rather a memorial unto me, than an Example or Rule unto any other; and therefore, if there be any singularity therein correspondent unto the private conceptions of any man, it doth not advantage them; or if dissentaneous thereunto, it no way overthrows them. It was penned in such a place, and with such disadvantage, that, (I protest,) from the first setting of pen unto paper, I had not the assistance of any good Book whereby to promote my invention or relieve my memory; and therefore there might be many real lapses therein, which others might take notice of, and more that I suspected my self. It was set down |