William Petty

“ O give an exact Definition or nice Division of Learning, or of the Advancement thereof, we shall not undertake (it being already so accurately done by the great Lord Verulam) Intending onely to shew where our owne shoe pincheth us, or to point at some pieces of Knowledge, the improvement wherof (as we at least conceive) would make much to the enerall good and comfort of all mankind, and withall to deliver our own opinion by what meanes they may be raised some one degree neerer to perfection. ”

“ Having thus taken the height or pitch wherunto al Arts and Sciences whatsoever, are already come; and observed where they now stick, the ablest Men in every respective Faculty must be set apart, to drive them on further with sufficient maintenance, and encouragement for the same. Whereunto it is requisite that two or three, one under another, be employed about each Faculty, to the end that some of them dying, or any other wise failing, there may never want men acquainted with the whole Designe, and able to carry it on, with the help of others to be admitted under them ”

“ From this Institution we may clearly hope when the excellent in all Arts are not onely Neighbours, but intimate Friends and Brethren, united in a Common desire and zeal to promote them, that all Trades will miraculously prosper, and new Inventions would be more frequent, then new fashions of Clothes and household-stuffe. ”

“ The Vice-Physicians proper charge is to see the History of Patients most exactly and constantly kept, he may now and then reade some good Authour, but in all other things shall endeavour to assist, and be subordinate to the Physician in all parts of his duty, stil acting by his directions, but shall not prescribe any Physick without the consent of the Chiefe, nor in his absence, upon emergent occasions, without the advice of the Master Chyrurgeons; he should be alwayes walking up and downe from bed to bed, feeling the pulses and looking on the Vrine and other excrements of the sick ”

“ By all which it is most evident, that Children do most naturally delight in things, and are most capable of learning them, having quick Sences to receive them and unpreoccupied memories to retaine them. As for other things whereunto they are now adayes set, they are altogether unfit, for want of judgement, which is but weake in them, and also for want of Will, which is sufficiently seene both by what we have said before, by the difficultie in keeping them at Schools, and the punishment they will endure rather then be altogether debarred from this pleasure which they take in Things. ”

“ For all men desirous to take paines might by this Book survey all the wayes of Subsistance, and choose out of them all, one that best suits with his own Genius and Abilities.
13. Schollers now disesteemed for their Poverty (what ever other thing commends them) and unable even for want of lively-hood, to perfect any thing even in their own way, would quickly help themselves, by opening Treasures, with the Key of Lucriferous Inventions. ”

“ Having by this means procured work-men and what else is necessary to the Worke, that which we would have them to labour in, is, How to finde out such Arts as are yet undiscovered, How to learne what is already known, by more compendious and facile wayes, and to apply it to more, and those more noble uses, how to work in men an higher esteeme of Learning so as to give occasion, encouragement and opportunity to more Men to apply themselves to its Advancement. ”

“ But what relish will there be in all those dainties whereof we have spoken, if we want a palate to tast them, which certainly is Health, the most desirable of all earthly blessings, and how can we in any reason expect Health, when there are so many great difficulties in the curing of diseases and no proportionable Course taken to remove them? we shall therefore pursue the Meanes of acquiring the Publicke Good and comfort of Mankind a little further, and vent out conceits concerning a Nosocomium Academicum or an Hospitall to cure the Infirmities both of Physician and Patient. ”

“ There would not then be so many Fustian and Unworthy Preachers in Divinity, so many petti foggers in the Law, so many Quack-salvers in Physick, so many Grammaticasters in Country-schooles, and so many Lazy-serving men in Gentlemens houses, when every man might learne to live otherwise in more plenty and honour. ”

“ The next thing then to be done, will be, First, to see what is well and sufficiently done already, exploding whatsoever is nice, contentious and meery phantasticall. All which must in some measure be suppressed and brought into disgrace and contempt with all men. ”

“ Here would be the best and most effectuall opportunities and meanes, for writing a History of Trades in perfection and exactnesse, and what Experiments and stuffe would all those Shops and Operations afford to Active and Philosophicall heads, out of which, to extract that Interpretation of Nature, whereof there is so little, and that so bad as yet extant in the world? ”

“ There should be also a Chirurgeon and an Apothecary who have served their Apprentiships in the said Faculties called the Chirurgeons and Apothecaries Mate, with two other young men, the one to serve the Chirurgeon, and the other the Apothecary, all understanding at least the Latine Tongue, which may be called the Apprentices: All these are to be chosen at first by the Curators (but afterwards by the Society it selfe) being such as they shall be certified are Pious, Ingenious, Laborious, Lovers of Knowledge, and particularly of the Faculty of Physick, courteous, not covetous ”

“ A vast increase of honourable, profitable, and pleasant Inventions must needs spring from the work, when one Man (as the Compiler thereof) may uno intuitu, see and comprehend all the Labour and Wit of our Ancestors, and be thereby able to supply the defects of one Trade with the perfections of another. ”

“ The wits and endevours of the world may no longer be as so many scattered coales or firebrands, which for want of union, are soone quenched, whereas being but layed together they would have yeeled a comfortable light and heat. For me thinkes the present condition of men is like a field where a battle hath beene lately fought, where we may see many leggs, and armes, and eyes lying here and there, which for want of a union and a soule to quicken and enliven them, are good for nothing but to feed Ravens ”

“ Although it be intended to teach the making of all Artificials, yet it is not to be understood that when there hath beene taught how to make a stoole, or a naile of one fashion, that the Art of making a Chaire or a naile of another fashion, should belong insisted on. ”

“ For how can it otherwise be? when the Revenues of the State shall be encreased by new and more Customes, all Beggers feeding upon the Labours of other men, and even Theeves and Robbers (made for want of better employment) shall be set on work, barren grounds made fruitfull, wet dry, and dry wet, when even hogs and more indocile beasts shall be taught to labour, when all vile Materials shall be turned to Noble uses, when one man or horse shall do as much as three, and every thing improved to strange Advantages. ”

“ What seasons of the yeare are most proper to each Worke, which the best places and times to buy Materials, and to put off the Commodities when finished, how most thriftily to hire, entertaine, and oversee servants and Workmen, how to dispose of every excrement and Refuse of Materials, or of broken, worne, or otherwise unserviceable Tooles and Utensils, with all Cauteles, Impostures and other sleights good or bad, whereby men use to over-reach one another. ”

“ And now we shall think of whetting our tooles and preparing sharp Instruments for this hard work, by delivering our thoughts concerning Education, which are,
1. That there be instituted Ergastula Literaria, Literarywork-houses where Children may be taught as well to doe something towards their living, as to Read and Write.
That the businesse of Education be not (as now) committed to the worst and unworthiest of men, but that it be seriously studied and practised by the best and abler persons. ”

“ For we see Children to delight in Drums, Pipes, Fiddels, Guns made of Elder-sticks and bellowes noses, piped Keyes, &c. for painting Flags and Ensignes with Elder-berries and Corn-poppy, making ships with Paper, and setting even Nut-shels a swimming, handling the tooles of workemen assoone as they turne their backs, and trying to worke themselves, fishing, fowling, hunting, setting sprenges and traps for birds, and other animals, making pictures in their writing bookes, making Tops, Gigs, and Whirligigs, quilting balls, practising divers jugling tricks upon the Cards, &c. ”

“ There ought to be much Artifice used, that all the aforementioned Indices may handsomely referre One to anothers, that all things contained in the whole Book may be most easily found, and most readily attend the seekers of New Inventions. ”

“ For we see that Opticks are made up of pure Mathematicks, the Anatomy of the eye, and some Physicall Principles concerning the Nature of light and Vision, with some Experiments of convexe and concave glasses, Astronomy is constituted againe of them, and some Caelestiall Phoenomena. ”

“ Besides when their respective times are expired, their profit and esteeme in the world cannot but be very great. For their way of breeding will both procure them practice among such as are able to reward them, and give them a dexterity and ability, to manage and go thorough a great deale thereof.
Moreover the smalnesse of the Salary, the long servitude among poore wretches, and restraint from Marriages, the great paines and naturall parts required to performe duties, will I hope, prevent all intrusions of those, whose Genius doth not encline them to take pleasure in this way of life. ”

“ And also how all Impotents, whether onely blind, or onely lame, and all Children of above seven yeares old might earne their bread, and not be so long burdensome to their Parents and others.
There should be made a Preface to the Worke to teach men how to make the most of experiments and to record the successes of them whatsoever, whether according to hopes or no, all being equally Luciferous, although not equally Lucriferous. ”

“ Sophistry shall not be in such esteem as heretofore, when even Sence shall be able to unmask its vanity, and distinguish it from Truth.
6 Men seeing what Arts are already invented, shall not neede to puslle themselves to reinvent the same againe.
7. All Men in generall that have wherewithall will be venturing at our Vellus Aureum, by making of Experiments: and whether thereby they thrive or no (the Directions in the Preface being followed) they shall neverthelesse more and more discover Nature.
8. Nay all Nations sensible of this Auri Sacra fames, will engage in this hopefull businesse ”

“ The Nurses shall be alwayes at hand in the Hospitall to help the sick, that by reason of their absence they may not be put to straine and offend themselves by often and loud crying and calling. They shall dresse their diet and give it them in Quality, Quantity, Time and order, according to the Physicians directions, they shall see their Linnen conveniently changed so as to prevent all annoyance to the sick; They shall in watching endevour to observe all remarkable Accidents hapning in the night, as whether they raved or talked much in their sleepe, snorted, coughed. ”

“ The most Artificiall Fountaines and Water-works, a Library of Select Bookes, an Astronomicall Observatory for celestiall Bodies and Meteor, large pieces of Ground for severall Experiments of Agriculture, Galleeries of the rarest Paintings and Satues, with the fairest Globes, and Geographcall Maps of the best descriptions, and so farre as is possible, we would have this place to be the Epitome or Abstract of the whole world. So that a man conversant within those walls, would certainly prove a greater Schollar, then the Walking Libraries so called, although he could neither write nor read. ”

“ That effectuall Courses be taken to try the Abilities of the Bodies and Minds of Children, the strength of their Memory, inclination of their Affections either to Vice or Vertue, and to which of them in particular, and withall to alter what is bad in them, and increase and improve what is good, applying all, whether good or bad, to the least Inconveniencie and most Advantage. ”

“ For we do not doubt, but that we have so contrived the businesse, that there is no Hospitall in its corrupt estate, can be more thriftily managed then Ours. For the Number of our Ministers are no greater then usuall, and absolutly necessary, their Pensions no larger then are allowed to those, who do not make the service of the Hospital, the sixth part of their Employment and meanes of subsistance, and yet we give encouragement enough to able men to undertake it, without medling with any other businesse, which we strictly forbid. ”

“ To Arithmeticians and Geometricians, supplying them with Matter whereupon to exercise those most excellent Sciences, Which some having with much paines once learned, do for want hereof forget againe, or unprofitably apply about resolving needlesse Questions, and making of new difficulties. The number of mixt Mathematicall Arts would hereby be encreased. ”

“ That they be not onely taught to Write according to our Common Way, but also to Write Swiftly and in Reall Characters, as likewise the dextrous use of the Instruments for Writing many Copies of the same thing at once. ”