TRuly Brother, I am very much offended with a foule Superſtition, which I wonder is ſo eaſily paſſed over by others: Our Wind-mills, you know, are framed in ſo perfect a croſſe, as if they were erected in defiance of Reformation. To what purpoſe do wee baniſh the Croſſe out of our Churches and Markets, if we allow it upon our City-wals, or in our fields: It is no marvell if our corne that is ground with ſo Idolatrous an engine, turne to no better nouriſhment, and ſerve only to feed wicked humors; I warrant you our Brethren in New-England admit of no ſuch abomination: Indeed what need we any Wind-mils at all, have we not water enough in every corner of our Land to drive our wheeles about? Or if our lot have fallen upon ſandy ſoyles, or drie heathes, have we not Horſe-mils, and hand-mils, that may ſufficiently prepare our griſt? How do they in thoſe religious armies that are raiſed againſt the Malignant, and in thoſe godly townes and cities that have zealouſly ſhut out their King, and made themſelves their owne priſoners? How did our Fore-fathers before ever theſe vaine whirligigs were deviſed? certainly they are ſcandalous inſtruments, where of every ſaile is thwarted over with twenty croſſe-bars, no croſſe of Jeruſalem hath ſo many; and if you mark it, they are commonly ſeated upon high hils, that their offence may be the more notorious: My adviſe therfore is, up with all Wind-mils, up with them both root and branch, let them be all preſently eſcheated to the State. But if any of our Brethren be otherwiſe minded, and ſhall think it fit to latch the moving aire for ſuch an advantage, and that there ought to be a correſpondence betwixt the holy Wind-mils in our braines, and theſe outward motions; I could earneſtly wiſh that at the next meeting it might be propounded to our Brethren, that they would be pleaſed to agree among themſelves, upon a Vote for the reforming of this evill faſhion of Wind-mils; whereto I ſhall not be unwilling to contribute my beſt thoughts.

Why may there not be a device of a round Wind mill free from offence, and more effectuall? the forme whereof I here preſent unto you: Let there be a large round wheele of good heart of Oake: In the inner part whereof, above the axelwheele ſhall be prominently ſet out, and faſt mortiſed in the circumferentiall wheele a large ſquare of timber, with a faire roundell in the midſt of it, borne out by foure ſtuds ariſing from the axel-wheele, and in each corner of that ſquare, betwixt it and the outer circumference, let there be ſo many leſſer roundels ſeverally placed (for I hate to think of any croſſe bars in this fabrick) all theſe roundels ſhal be ſo covered with ſtrong canvaſe, that there may be ſcope left for the bunt of the ſaile to ſwell in, wherewith the wind may be caught to purpoſe: In the circumference of that large wheele ſhall be fixed certain ſtiffe and long ſpoakes, winged with ſeverall flags of canvaſe, two whereof may uphold a ſeveral ſaile, faſtend with ſtrong cords to the wheele, ſo as they may be ſpred or wrapt up according as the gale ſerveth. This is the modell of the reformed Wind-mill; I ſuppoſe you have it in your head alreadie. The Idea of it is ſo familiar, that every brother may run away with it at the firſt hearing. Here are no ſuch emergent difficulties, and unreconcileable impoſsibilities, as ſhould need the concurrence of many wiſe heads to ſalve them up; but plaine round and ſquare, without any croſſe intricacies or deepe ſubtilties.

Now the commodities of this forme, and juſt elogies thereof, which ſhall recommend it to preſent practiſe, and to poſterity are not a few. Firſt of all, it is new, and that I ſuppoſe is no ſmall praiſe: Away with the rotten faſhions of our doting Anceſtors, give us all profitable novelties; I wonder at the folly of thoſe men which think any thing the better for age: We caſt away cloaths becauſe they are old; Liquors that are too ſtale we diſlike; Timber that is worm-eaten is rejected; and who cares for mouldy and muſty proviſion? Yet Rites and Ceremonies are by fooliſh men entertained and magnified becauſe they are ancient: Should a man come forth clothed in the habit of his great Grand-ſire, how ſhould he be followed by all the boyes in the ſtreet, not without hooting and deriſion; whereas he that walks in the common garbe of the laſt faſhion, is not noted: And why ſhould not we go beyond our Fore-fathers for wit, ſince we have both the help of theirs, and more pregnant of our own? What do they talke therefore of the old formes of Liturgie, or of the Diſcipline and government both of Church and State: It was the credulous ſtupidity of our progenitors to take all upon truſt, that was derived unto them from former hands, without enquiring into the better reaſons of alterations; For us we have learned to be wiſer, and know how to be weary of the old decrepit inventions of ſilly antiquity, and rejoyce to furniſh the world with better projects.

Secondly, this is a faſhion that hath never been taken up by Papiſts or Heathens, (whoſe very uſe and practiſe is enough to make any thing ſinfull and abominable;) yea, therefore is it moſt fit to be ſet up, becauſe it is quite contrary to their formes: For ſince our Religion is juſtly oppoſite to theirs; why ſhould we agree with them in any thing? Why ſhould we not affect an utter contrariety unto them upon all occaſions? If they uſe ſet formes of publike Prayer, why ſhould not we avoid them? If they uncover or kneele in their Churches, why ſhould not we abhor that ſuperſtition? If they faſt on Good-Friday, what day is fitter for our feaſting? If Chriſtmas day be their Feſtivall, why is it not fitteſt for our working-day? If they preach in gownes, and walk in ſide-robes, what is ſo proper for us as ſhort cloakes and Jumps: Their Lent ſhould be our Carnevall: And if we could have a Summer and Winter, a day and night, varying from theirs, or another Sunne from that which gives light to them, we would not partake with them in theſe: And if they go on their feet, I wiſh we could walk on our heads: I am much afraid leſt when they ſee the better faſhion of our grinding engine, they wil go neer to conforme unto this Fabrick, which if they ſhould do, they ſhould ſoon drive us to ſeek ſome other deviſe, for we are reſolved to hold alooſſe from them in all our concernments.

Thirdly, there can be no danger of any ill uſe to be made of this frame, whereas the other being ſo exquiſite a croſſe, doth (as it were) invite every paſſenger to ſuperſtition. In this regard ſurely I ſhould marvell to ſee any Papiſt paſſe by ſo faire repreſentation with his hat on: And if the Jeſuit CAMPIAN uncovered his head when he paſſed by Tiburne (as his ſtory tels us) the ſtructure wherof is only compoſed of three croſſe beams without any formall arrectary; how would he much more have vailed to ſo perfect a reſemblance of that which is entertained with all idolatrous adoration? And if we breake down ſorry halfe-headed croſſelets in our Church-yards and high-waies, for fear of the worſt: With what courage ſhould we (with the valiant and zealous DON QUIXOTE) ſet upon theſe Giantly champions of ſuperſtition? Since we may boldly ſay that no old Primer, or Horn-book, no book of Popiſh Maſsing, or conjuring, hath in it a more exact forme of that great Idoll than the common Wind-mill hath. Well fare a good ſiſter of ours, Miſtris W. a ſchool-miſtris, which would not ſuffer her little ones to name that Idol in their firſt leſſon, but taught them to ſay black-ſpot in ſtead of Chriſts-croſſe; And our brother H. L. the Baker, that in deteſtation of this figure, would not ſo much as prick his loaves with an headleſſe croſſe, but contented himſelfe ſtill with one ſingle motion of his knife.

Fourthly, it cannot be denied that the faſhion of this our Wind-mill is far more excellent than the other, for the round figure is by all confeſsion moſt perfect; the heaven is round, the earth is round, and if theſe very ſquare ſailes did not move round they could do nothing; and if they be therefore eſteemed becauſe they go round, why ſhould they not be ſo much more approved becauſe they are round.

Fifthly, it is no ſlight argument to induce us to this forme, that herein we ſhall conforme our ſelves to all other kinds of Mills, the Hand-mill, the Horſe-mill, the Water-mill, are all contrived into this figure; howſoever therefore all the Windmils of the whole world be ſquare and croſſe-like; yet ſince it is fit we ſhould frame our ſelves to the faſhion of our neighbours; ſurely it is meet that theſe windy Engins ſhould imitate their fellowes, that ſo there may be a correſpondence between them, all of an happy and comely rotundity.

Many other inducements might be inforced, but theſe are enough to incline al reaſonable men to a liking of this form, which I perſwade my ſelf will take ſo well upon the firſt motion, that all our well-affected Corporations will be ready to run into this praiſe-worthy faſhion. Which becauſe it may be of ſo ſingular uſe, I could wiſh that in your next aſſembly, when you ſhall finde a generall approbation of this plot, you would move that we two (who are the firſt movers of this project) might have the juſt favour to be joynt Patentees in the work: (why not as well as ſome others have been in the round weights) ſo as whoſoever will reap benefit by our invention, may give ſome reall acknowledgement to the Authors of it: for howſoever I hate Monopolies (as the very bane of the Common-wealth) yet I ſee no reaſon why thoſe that have beaten their braines for the contrivance of any rare device for the common good, ſhould not receive due encouragement from thoſe hands which partake the benefit of their labour; but this I leave to your diſcretion, and to the deeper judgement of the Aſſembly, in the midſt whereof I doe oft wiſh my ſelfe.