The Epistle
Besides the many Private conferences to this purpose, I must not forget to mention, that Publique account which he hath given to the World, of his thoughts upon this subject, in that Learned and Ingenious discourse styled Vindiciæ Academiarum; wherein he endeavours to Vindicate those Ancient and famous Schools of Leaning, from such reproaches, whereby some Ignorant and ill-natured men (taking the advantage of those bad Times) would have exposed them to contempt and ruine. In which Treatise there is mention made of some considerable preparations, towards the Design here proposed, which if his other necessary imployments would have permitted him to have prosecuted, would without doubt, long ere this, have been advanced to as great a Perfection, as the first Essay of so difficult a matter could have attained.
It was some considerable time after this, before I had any thought of attempting any thing in this kind: The first occasion of it was, from a desire I had, to give some assistance to another person, who was willing to ingage in this design of framing a real Character, from the Natural notion of things; for the helping of whom in so worthy an undertaking, I did offer to draw up for him, the Tables of Substance, or the species of Natural Bodies, reduced under their several Heads; which I did accordingly perform, much after the same Method, as they are hereafter set down: Though in the doing of it, I found much more labour and difficulty, then I expected, when I undertook it. But he for whom I had done this, not liking this method, as being of too great a Compass, conceiving that he could sufficiently provide for all the chief Radicals, in a much briefer and more easy way, did not think fit to make use of these Tables. Upon which, being my self convinced, That this which I had begun, was the only course for the effecting of such a work, and being withal unwilling to loose so much pains as I had already taken towards it, I resolved (as my leasure would permit) to go on with the other Tables of Accidents. And when after many reviews and changes I had reduced (as well as I could) into these Tables, all simple things and notions, by a Consideration of them à Priori, I then judged it necessary to attempt the reduction of all other Words in the Dictionary to these Tables; either as they were Synonymous to them, or to be defined by them, which would be a means to try the fulness of these Tables, and consequently to supply their defects; and besides a great help to Learners, who without such a direction, might not perhaps at first be able to find out the true place and notion of many Words.
For the farther compleating of this Work, I found it necessary to take into consideration, the framing of such a Natural Grammar, as might be suited to the Philosophy of Speech, abstracting from those many unnecessary rules belonging to instituted Language; which proved a matter of no small difficulty, considering the little help to be had for it, from those few Authors who had before undertaken to do any thing in this kind.
In the doing of these things, I have not neglected any help that I could procure from others, and must acknowledge my self much ingaged to sundry Learned Men of my acquaintance, for their directions, and furtherance of such matters, as were most suitable to their several Studies and Professions.
Amongst the rest, I must not forget to make particular mentions of the special assistance I have received, in drawing up the Tables of Animals
