Campanalogia

Gentlemen,

As your Society even ab origine hath deservedly acquired an eminency in many respects above others of this kind; so more especially for the pregnancy of its Members in the composing of Peals. For when the Art of Cross-pricking lay enveloped in such obscurity, that it was thought impossible that double Changes on five bells could be made to extend farther than ten, and triple and double Changes on six farther than sixty; then it was that a worthy and knowing Member of your Society, to dissipate those mists of Ignorance, and to usher in the bright morn of Knowledg, prickt those much applauded Peals of Grandsire and Grandsire Bob; which for their excellency have for many years together continued triumphant in practice amidst all others whatsoever; and which indeed have been a great light in the production of that great variety of new Peals herein contained; the greatest part of which being also the offspring of your Society, I therefore thought fit to usher them into the world under the wings of your Protection.

Gentlemen, as a member I held my self obliged to add my Mite to your full fraught Treasury of Speculative and Practical Knowledg of this kind; though I confess your acquisition on this account will be very mean, since my want of ability sufficient to undertake a thing of this nature, and also want of opportunity by converse with others to supply my own defects, have rendred the Book less acceptable than it might have been done by some more knowing head and acuter Pen. And although I am conscious that it meriteth not your acceptance; yet I assume the confidence to believe that you will favour it with a kind entertainment amongst you; and the rather, for that I know you are too judicious to sentence it without first casting into the ballance of your indifferent judgments some Grains of Allowance: The countenance you shew it will silence Detractors, and be Armour of proof against the fools bolts which may happen to be soon shot at the Author, who is