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Show Prefaie .. judgement ~ have joyned Sch.olafti· cal fubtilty wfth thelr sktll· m_ ~he Laws and Canons' not :lhlt.n~lng f~·om the Controverfies of N at1ons and of Kings. The French ~ave been more ftudious to infert Hlfiories in the fame profeffion of the Laws: amongft whom, Bodi11. and Hottoman are of great name, the former in a continued Work , the latter in fcatter' d Qyeftions: whofe determinations and reafons will of· · ten furniili us with matter to examine. In the whole Work I have ·pro· pofed to my felf three things; to make the reJfons of defining mofl evid(nt, to difpofe in a certain order the matters to be handled , artd to diftinguifh perfpicuoufly the things which feemed to be the fame, artd were not. I have abfi:ained from tbings that are not of this Trf>atife, as tl ofe that !hew what is ufefull to be done: becaufe they h~1ve the~r fpecial confider~tion in the P~h~ ticks., which ·Ariflotle handles ~o JU· dicioully and tlifllinetly) as to rptngle ·~ nothing nothing that i~ impertinent? other.,: wi.Ie tban Bodin hath done, m whom this Art i~ CJntounded with the' Art of ut Law. Notwithfi:Jnding, in fume pl aces I have rnention'd what h profitable bur on the by, and that 1 m1ght dtftinguiili it more plainly from the q udl:ton of j #fl. He will do me injury , rhat thinks l had an eye upun ·any Comroverfies ~f our Age, either ~:tlre~dy up , or hke to rife. For I protels fincerely, as Mathematicians confider Figures 'abftratt from Bodies, ~.fo have I in treating of R.ght 1 deva~ed my M~ditatiQns above all p. rncular Achons. As to the frile and manner of fpeech·, I was not wllling, by adding ~ multitude of words to the multitude of matter, to cloy my Reader . whofe Good I intended. I have ;therefore followed , as near . ;ts tcould , a concile and plain way {)f ¢1~tetfton convenie~t to a Teacher : that fuch as have. a hand in publick · Affairs may here behold , as in one view , both what Controvedies arc ufu"Uy incident ; and what are ~ . '41 • , ~-« * 4 . the |
