The Hartlib Papers

                                    Paris the 23 Aug

Sir,                                          1659.

      <upside down: I pray, Sir, be pleased to make>

      henceforth a couer ouer all my letters to

      Monsieur Hensch alone, without naming me with yet

      on the [exterior something ^...... me? MS edge
      damaged] reason

Iust now I receaue yours from the 1. Aug. hauing answered yours from the 25. july. by my last dated the 16. Aug. except that I could not giue you so full an account, as I wished, concerning Bodinus his MS. de rerum sublimium Arcanis. I haue heard since, that it is not a book fit to be printed, and that few persons here at Paris haue copies thereof. I doe not know, whether I shall get leaue to see any of them, the matter, as I heare, being ticklish, and seeming to preferre Iudaisme before all other religions. As to your last letter, I haue <already> if my memory faile me not very much, giuen you notice, that Monsieur Roberval hath a written Algebra, and that I could get a transcript of it, if I had a person capable to make one, it not being every Copists busines to transcribe such kind of manuscripts, and[blotted] myselfe hauing too many occupations to doe it myselfe. <As for> The[altered] other thing, you say you find not answered, I am confident, that I told you formerly, I had emploied two persons to inquire of the widow of Monsieur Petit, whether and vpon what terms she would part with her dead husbands manuscript upon Iosephus: but I haue receaued no answer upon it as yet: only I heard this particular, that there are many rabbinical citations in it, not turned into any language, [deletion] comonly vnderstood: wherefore, if it could be gotten vpon any reasonable conditions, it could fall into no better hands, than those of Dr [Coccejus?] at Leiden, because he is a person as well skilled in the Rabbins, as any man I know this day, except Dr Hottinger and Mr Pokock.   The author of the Pamphlet Light out of Darkness, if it be he that you describe, I know very well, but wonder somewhat, he should write things to disparage Learning and tongues, because he is a man, that hath much learning and no want of tongues, and that hath gotten both in schooles and universities but <he hath> a loose vnsetled Spirit, tending rather[altered] to libertinisme and profanesse, than to any serious and conscientious enquiry of truth. I rejoyce to heare Mr More goes on to write and to prepare for the presse, especially such a subject as you mention; but doe not think, I shall meet with any body here, that mindeth such things, though certainly they be of our greatest interest.   I wonder, where the Gentleman, to whom Mylady Ranelagh gaue

 Hauing of late made acquaintance with a rational, <though roman> Clergy-man, as they are called here, who hath made severall treatises, whereby he discouereth the frauds of Monks[H capitalises] in their worship of Saints, he hath insinuated unto me severall letters, printed in this citty by the Parish-priests against the Iesuits, wherein they attacque their casuists and morality so to the quicke, that if the civile Authority intervene not and impose silence on both, it is very like to produce a Scisme among them. For the said Priests charge the whole body of the Loyolists, not only that they goe about to corrupt youth and good manners itselfe, but also to depraue the <very> Rule of manners itselfe, which is of most dangerous consequence. For, say they, it is an evill far lesse dangerous and far lesse general, to introduce irregularities and disorders, [deletion]<if you let> subsist the laws that forbid them, than to pervert the laws and justify the violations thereof: seing [deletion] the nature of man tending alwaies to evill from his birth, and there being no other ordinairy means to represse him, than the feare of the law, as soone that barre is removed, his lust will make an inondation without obstacle; [deletion]<so> that there will is no difference between permitting vices, and making all men vitious./    It would be too long to relate the particulars hereof, which yet may be done another time, whensoeuer you please to know more of it/.     At present [left margin:] I shall end, after I haue told you, that you are not like to haue any thing from hence for the advancement of optique glasses; the people here hearkening rather of<after> what is done in England and Holland that way, than putting their brains and hands to it themselues. I remaine

               Sir your most affectionate real. servant

                                   H.O.