of the Ornaments of that great Collection of Rarities in the _Kings
Closet_. This _Honor_, which his first beginnings of this kind have
receiv'd, to be admitted into the most famous place of the world, did not
so much _incourage_, as the _hazard_ of coming after _Dr. Wren_ did
_affright_ me; for of him I must, affirm, that, since the time of
_Archimedes_, there scarce ever met in one man, in so great a perfection,
such a _Mechanical Hand_, and so _Philosophical_ a _Mind_.

But at last, being assured both by _Dr. Wilkins_, and _Dr. Wren_ himself,
that he had given over his intentions of prosecuting it, and not finding
that there was any else design'd the pursuing of it, I set upon this
undertaking, and was not a little incourag'd to proceed in it, by the
Honour the _Royal Society_ was pleas'd to favour me with, in approving of
those draughts (which from time to time as I had an opportunity of
describing) I presented to them. And particularly by the Incitements of
divers of those Noble and excellent Persons of it, which were my more
especial Friends, who were not less urgent with me for the publishing, then
for the prosecution of them.

After I had almost compleated these Pictures and Observations (having had
divers of them ingraven, and was ready to send them to the Press) I was
inform'd, that the Ingenious Physitian _Dr. Henry Power_ had made several
_Microscopical_ Observations, which had I not afterwards, upon our
interchangably viewing each others Papers, found that they were for the
most part differing from mine, either in the Subject it self, or in the
particulars taken notice of; and that his design was only to print
Observations without Pictures, I had even then _suppressed_ what I had so
far proceeded in. But being further _excited_ by several of my Friends, in
complyance with their opinions, that it would not be unacceptable to
several inquisitive Men, and hoping also, that I should thereby discover