To the Right Honourable
WILLIAM
LORD VISCOUNT
BROUNCKER,
PRESIDENT;
Together with the reſt of the COUNCIL and FELLOWS of the ROYAL SOCIETY.
My Lord,
NOW at length preſent to your Lordſhip thoſe Papers I had drawn up concerning a Real Character, and a Philoſophicall Language; which by ſeverall Orders of the Society have been required of Me. I have been the longer about it, partly becauſe it required ſome conſiderable time to reduce the Collections I had by me to this purpoſe, into a tolerable order; and partly becauſe when this work was done in Writing, and the Impreſſion of it well nigh finiſhed, it hapned (amongſt many other better things) to be burnt in the late dreadfull Fire; by which, all that was Printed (excepting only two Copies) and a great part of the unprinted Original was deſtroyed: The repairing of which, hath taken up the greateſt part of my time ever ſince. I mention this by way of Apology for that ſlackness and delay, I may ſeem to be guilty of in my obedience to your Orders.
