On the Soul of Brutes

...an excuse must be offered. For since these writings of mine, as well as others published previously, consist almost entirely of those things which I once delivered in Academic Lectures, by the necessity of a certain Office Willis refers to his position as the Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy which I undertook especially under your patronage; certainly these would never have seen the light, nor would I perhaps have been among the number of authors, had I not first been the Sedleian Professor original: "Professor Sidleianus" at Oxford, or rather, your own. I say yours, both because of the old stipend original: "Honorarium" with which you once supported me, and because of the more recent magnificence of your generosity, with which you recently held the University and the whole scholarly community original: "togatam gentem," literally "the gowned race," referring to the formal robes of academics in your debt. All the Schools have much to attribute to your Theater The Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, commissioned by Sheldon and designed by Christopher Wren, and the Professors besides; while each acknowledges a private Patron for himself, all celebrate Sheldon. You exceed the individual benefits of other Patrons and crown them all with your own. Moreover, these investigations, as the duty...