he would not allow them to call him brother, but Mr. Peter; and then
he must be styled Father Peter, and sometimes My Lord Peter. To
support this grandeur, which he soon began to consider could not be
maintained without a better fonde than what he was born to, after
much thought he cast about at last to turn projector and virtuoso,
wherein he so well succeeded, that many famous discoveries,
projects, and machines which bear great vogue and practice at
present in the world, are owing entirely to Lord Peter's invention.
I will deduce the best account I have been able to collect of the
chief amongst them, without considering much the order they came out
in, because I think authors are not well agreed as to that point.

I hope when this treatise of mine shall be translated into foreign
languages (as I may without vanity affirm that the labour of
collecting, the faithfulness in recounting, and the great usefulness
of the matter to the public, will amply deserve that justice), that
of the several Academies abroad, especially those of France and
Italy, will favourably accept these humble offers for the
advancement of universal knowledge. I do also advertise the most
reverend fathers the Eastern missionaries that I have purely for
their sakes made use of such words and phrases as will best admit an
easy turn into any of the Oriental languages, especially the
Chinese. And so I proceed with great content of mind upon
reflecting how much emolument this whole globe of earth is like to
reap by my labours.

The first undertaking of Lord Peter was to purchase a large
continent, lately said to have been discovered in Terra Australis
incognita. This tract of land he bought at a very great pennyworth
from the discoverers themselves (though some pretended to doubt