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Worke whose Title might justly be Vellus Aureum sive Facultatum Luoriferarum discriptio Magna, wherein all the practised wayes of getting a Subsistance and whereby Men raise their fortunes, may be at large declared. And among these, we wish that the History of Arts or Manufactures might first be undertaken as the most pleasant and profitable of all the rest, wherein should be discribed the whole Processe of Manual Operations and Applications of one Naturall thing (which we call the Elements of Artificials) to another, with the necessarie Instruments and Machines, whereby every peice of worke is elaborated, and made to be what it is, unto which work bare words being not sufficient, all Instruments and tooles must be pictured, and colours added when the discriptions cannot be made intelligible without them.
This History must not be made out of a farrago of imperfect Relations made to the compiler, either by too rude or cousening Workmen, but all things thereunto appertaining must be by himselfe observed and attested by the most Judicious and candid of each respective Profession, as well to make the work the more Authenticke, (it being to be the Basis of many future Inferences and Philosophations) as the more cleerly and distinctly to enforme the compiler himselfe, by whose Judgement as the Alembick and Industry as the fire, it is hoped that the Quintessence and Magesteries of all present Inventions may be extracted and new ones produced in abundance.
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. But the Compiler should strive to reduce the making of all Artificials in each trade to a certaine Number and Classes of operations Tooles and Materials, neither need he to set the Figures, or mention the names of all Artificials that ever were made, but onely of such as are most Knowne and of Common Use
