'Praises on that most admirable Invention, the Microfcope; by which we first learn'd the Existence of 'em. What wonderful Discoveries have been made by the Help of this Noble Inftrument! How many beautiful and furprizing Works of the All-wise Creator, had for ever lain conceal'd in their own *Minuteness, if this had not discover'd them to us? By this artificial Eye, we are enabled to look into a thousand Curiofities, of which our Natural Sight cou'd have given us no Information; to pry into the moft fecret Receffes of Nature, and examine the artful Mechanism and Organick Contexture of the smallest Creatures. This has affur'd us, that the Animal World is much larger than is commonly imagin'd; that every Corner of Nature is ftock'd and crowded with infinite Numbers of little Inhabitants; and that there are more Infects, imperceptible to the naked Eye, in a Drop of Vinegar, than there are Men upon the Earth. And what Wonder? When this terreftrial Globe, which we think fo vaft, is, in Comparison of the boundlefs Extenfion of the Universe, only a little Atom, fwimming among Myriads of others in the liquid Ather; and we may be confider'd as the Infects, who poffefs and inhabit it. The Circulation of the Blood is also a Discovery owing to this Inftru

ment.

Nor

"Our weak Eyes, help'd by mechanick Art, disco "cover in thefe Works a hidden Scene of Wonders ; "Worlds within Worlds, of infinite Minuteness, tho' as "to Art ftill equal to the greateft, and pregnant with more "Wonders, than the most difcerning Senfe, join'd with "the greatest Art or the acutest Reason, can penetrate or « unfold. Earl of Shaftesbury,

Nor is Phyfick the only Art, that is beholden to the Improvement of Glaffes. Aftronomy has likewife receiv'd great Advantage by the Telescope. This has plainly fhew'd us, that the Moon is only another Earth; diverfified, like this, with Sea and Land, Mountains and Valleys, &c. This has enlarged our View of the Univerfe, and not only fhew'd us in the Heavens those things more diftinctly, which we law there before, but even new Stars and Planets invifible to the naked Eye. Witness the Milky Way, which the Ancients took for a white Cloud or Vapour; but it is now found to be a large Quantity of fix'd Stars, which appear distinct through the Telescope. Thofe fecondary Planets, the Satellites of Jupiter, and fome primary Planets have not only been discover'd by it; but the Revolutions and Eclipfes alfo of thofe Moons, are now as exactly calculated, as thofe of our own.

It wou'd be endless to enumerate all the Difcoveries, which have been made by means of these Inftruments. I will not therefore attempt it; but, for what remains, refer you to Dr. Hook's Micragraphia; And subscribe myself

Your faithful Friend

and Servant,

H. NEEDLER.

Το

To Mr. H.

Portsmouth, November, 1711.

WHEN I intimated to you my Defign, of

fending you in a Letter thofe imperfect Reflections and Obfervations I had made, on a curfory Perufal of Mr. Norris's Theory of the Ideal World, you was pleas'd to exprefs your Approbation of it; which makes me willing to lay hold on this Opportunity, to perform my Promife. I will refer what I have to offer concerning Mr. Norris's Theory, to these three Heads, viz. First, The Certainty; Secondly, The Usefulness and Importance; And, Thirdly, The Beauty and Excellency of it: Which are the three Qualifications, that ufually recommend an Author to our Efteem. And all thefe, in a very eminent Manner, concur in this excellent Work. As, upon a little Confideration of it, will, I doubt not, clearly appear.

And, First; As to the Certainty of this Ideal Theory. There are, I believe, very few Systems of fo Abstract and Metaphyfical a Nature, that can vie with it, either in refpect of the Number, or Clearnefs of the Arguments, on which it is built. Mr. Norris has ufed no other Arguments than fuch as are ftrictly Conclufive, and even Mathematically Demonstrative. And yet he has proved the Exiftence of The Ideal World by no less than fix diftinct Methods of Demonftration. And that Syftem muft furely be allow'd to have a good and folid Foundation, which is fupported by fo many invincible Arguments; and not to be fo mere a Castle in the Air, fo vain and chymerical a Structure,

as

as fome Men imagine. Though (as he justly obferves,) the real Existence of it be far more certain, than even that of the fenfible World, in which we live. But because this Affertion will feem very ftrange, if not incredible, to one who has not been. accustom❜d to these Speculations, I will endeavour, before I proceed, briefly to prove the Truth of it. And, for that Purpose, I defire no more than this One Conceffion, viz. That the Existence of the Ideal Worldis ftrictly demonftrable. For if I can prove, that the Existence of the Natural and Senfible World is not ftrictly and properly demonftrable, it neceffarily follows, That the Certainty of the Exiftence of the Ideal, exceeds that of the Natural World.. But that the Existence of the Natural World is not* ftrictly demonftrable, will appear from hence, That there is no neceffary Connexion between thofe Ideas which we have of External Objects, and the Existence of those Objects; for all Philofophers allow, that we fee External Objects by certain Species or Ideas, which repesent them to us, and not immediately by themselves; but now our feeing thefe Species or Ideas, can only affure us of their own Existence, and not of the Exiftence of those things which they exhibit; there being no Neceffa

ry

*Thought we own pre-eminent, and confefs the realleft " of Beings; the only Existence of which we are made fure, " by being conscious. All elfe may be only Dream and "Shadow. All which even Sense fuggefts may be deceit"ful. The SENSE itfelf remains ftill: REASON fubfifts: "and THOUGHT maintains its Eldership of Being. Thus " are we in a manner confcious of that original and eternally exiftent THOUGHT whence we derive our own. Earl of Shaftesbury.

ry Connexion (as I obferv'd before,) between the Existence of an Idea, and the real Existence of the thing it reprefents; any more than there is between the Existence of a Picture, and the Existence of fome Perfon like it; for if there was, then all things wou'd be neceffary, because 'tis demonftrable (which is the very Suppofition this Argument proceeds upon,) that the Ideas of all things are ne ceffary. It appears then, that we cannot strictly demonftrate the Existence of External Objects, from the Ideas which we have of them; because Nothing can be demonftrated from another, unless it has a Neceffary Connexion with it, which the Natural Existence of things has not with their Ideal Existence; and confequently it will follow, (fince this is the only Argument pretended to be demonftrative of the Natural Existence of things,) That the Existence of the Ideal, is far more Certain and Evident, than that of the Natural and Sensible World. Having fufficiently fhewn the Strength of the Bafis, on which this Ideal Fabrick is founded, I proceed in the next place to prove,

Secondly, The Ufefulness and Importance of the Ideal System. And if Truth and Science, if Religion and the eternal Reasons of Moral Good and Evil are Matters of any Importance, then must this Theory, on which they all ultimately reft, be efteem'd fo likewife. So that Nothing can be imagin'd more proper for the Support of Keligion, than this Ideal Philofophy. I cannot pretend here to make out and explain all this, but for that muft refer you to the Book itfelf; as not defiguing to write an Abstract of it, but only to give you fome Account of my Thoughts concerning it.

Thirdly, As to the Beauty and Excellency of the Subject; I do not believe it poffible to find any,