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cifion, as incontrovertible arguments.
Experience has taught us that we
ought to judge o f the works of
nature with the ntmoil diffidence ;
and we do not want examples, even
from the remoteft times, o f perfons
who have pretended to explain, with
the moil poiitive certainty, not only
how our earth, but even how the
whole world received its prefent form,
and even its very origin. To determine
the contrivance of fo vail a machine
over a writing-deik is, indeed,
one o f the moft daring enterprizes
which the proud reafon o f man ever
propofed to it felf; and, more than
any other attempt, ffiews his weak-
nefs and arrogance. All thefe imaginary
iyilems have been by little and
little overturned, though the greateil:
pains were exerted to compare them
with nature, and examine their exiftence.
Their arguments were then
difcovered to be founded on a few in-
fufficient obfervations, or, what is
ftill woríé, on uncertain, and fometimes
evidently falfe principles.
You,
You, Sir, will therefore readily
cxcufe my timidity ; for inftead o f
endeavouring to difcover all at once,
as it were a priori, though without any
certainty, the manner in which nature
works, and forms things in fecret, I
prefer the more laborious method o f
difcovering it gradually with certainty,
by experiments founded on
due obiervations; and fttall not he-
iitate to confeft my ignorance, where-
ever thefe guides in the ftudy o f
nature ceafe their inftruclions. I
do not, however, reject all conjectures
and propofed opinions, whenever
they lead to new refearches,
provided they are offered as mere con-
jecftures, and not obtruded on us as
certain truths, or determined opinions.
From what I have hitherto faid,
you will, I believe, conceive my method
: therefore I fliall enter upon the
fubjeil, and briefly treat of it under
feparate heads, in the following manner.
Y 3 O f
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