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It has fared with the learned
men of this
it has done with those who
have distinguished themselves
in arms, the success of both
has been very extraordinary
& u
will always speak for themselves
& the actions of the others
been of too great consequence
to be entirely forgot little care
has been taken to tr transmitt wi any ad
vantageous account of the
authors. The Muses have not
& the relations the most likely
to last are such as have
been given by their competitors – There is hardly an officer among
the Frenchofficer of the lowest
rankMan Many among of a neighbouring nation
with so
of their fame have been themselves
the
officers of the lowest rank, u
little known elsewhere make a
figure in their own memoirs Whilst
great Duke of Marlborough but in
the Annals of Boyer and the
Histoire Militaire of Louis the 14th – the Carthag wee know little
Carthaginians but ch
conquered has fallen upon England
victorious —
Nor has France been less carefull of
their learned men, a succession of
the brightest wits have been
entertained to perpetuate the memoirs
of every member of their Society ch
delight of Europe for half a century
has given such a lustre
finds or makes them
thowever wee admire him more than his Heroes
delivers down with so much advantage
as will give posterity a much greater
Idea – Whilst even Harvey Boyle
live only in their works – nor would
& Newton only as belonging to them
& not as an Englishman —
Spratt began durst praise no body –
As Tacitus wrote the life of Agricola
because he married his daughter —
I – having something
knowledge – haue excited others –
they dictate – only my hand – Whatever
is wrong is mine – Whatever praisewort otherwise theirs —
Folkes – Iones – Machin – &c –
endeavour to embellish to heighten to raise —
follow example of Spratt – r
often endeavoured to prevail a continuance anch
r
the Royal Society was writt in 1677, that
he had often pressed several to continue it
but in vain –
The first sketch ch
sample & to encourage others to continue it
was writt with so much perfection that
no one durst attempt to tread in follow tread on the same ground to follow him
as Cesar intended his Co
only as materials for others to enlarge
upon but no man was so hardy
as to write on the same subject with
Cesar, Dr Swift says
of the Royal Society is the best book
in the English tongue
Spratt wrote his History just when r
had laid the foundations of all his
discoveries – It has been said the
Society has not answered the great
expectations raised by that book – r
there had been such an Historian as
when accomplished —