c ifi ]
’T i s true, this large'field, To ferfilem matter agd fully flock’d
for obfervation, with all its varieties is feut a_ blahk^nd dreary defart
to the >he^efi’and in|i|nt|?e: -tiaveller. r| lo ifo te iu s lP ^ d fi^ 1^ |s
laid her works before us j £he has opened the^a ao% volume^p
Nature j- ’tis our part to read, compare;'and underftandi"
N a^ urac^ Hustoky is^ the handmaid to Providence,, collects into
a narrower 4pacd^lMds diflribmtid/ihrou|h jie^dnklr|e, arranging
and difpofing the feveral Foflils, Vegetables, and flaimais, fe
as the mind may more readily examine and diflinguilh their beauties,
inveftigate their caufes, combinations, and effeds, and rightly
know how to apply them to the calls of private and public life / "
I’t fills the aCtive and more focial mind with ideas, and experimental
deductions, profitable to the community, and productive of
manufactures,< additional. employ and^corpmerce. • It enables,-the
retired and fludious mind to profecute her - contemplation^ tmalSe
difcoveries and^calculationsy plan improvements, > and -
tion; but above jjJ1,. rades the mind, in both.^aretl!ftftancesr to, the
Author of all thefe things.
T he principal ufe therefore o f NaturalHjftory, is,iit|feiiteads
us direCtly to Religion ; it fhews. us every .where the plain ffoptft^ps
%£ defign and intelligence, and points out. to us. all the, 'attributes
of G od.
W h a t arguments and words fhall feldom compals, theflnaileft
and leaft confiderable of thefe works fhall effect irrefiftibly; the. eyes
o£ a fly, the. wing o f an infect, the fc&le of a fifli, fhall manifefl a
Deity to any perfon, who will purfue ©(Feds up to their caufes,
beyond contradiction, and above all doubt.
L ook where we will, admiration feizes us; we perceive the
ftrength and immenfity of fome works,, as well as the inimitable
fkill of others; and we revere the Power, as well as lee the Wifdom
of their Great Author j we obferve the fplendor and excellency of
other
W f t * IK
fethe! worksy? aftd -we -fland- q<t©vinee<i ofl.Ms.' .(Sr qj*. jfU$t we find the
oafesfelfiapes? ptQperiaefemi.'aillt^hirSgs; dtflerentf ,jy§ft:vwe -find
tthem$&dl ;^>ii.fpiring' «Jz*] prom^p:ii.|iniyfffefe, mutual,.3gOQdy we : fee
them alb deeded Jfo Iprmonfet^j. tb one pojnC^r the gppd ofe the
(whol%j!that theyi mull peedff jppgeedhftpm, onei ©ply, coflftantly
tbenefieent, and!?GfR*wppp<9i From; thefe w§S deduce and
3«Egne2!the.' qthenuattfibu.tgs,; .andKderive our own duties,; till Natural
Religion e^d^jfibufowhilft we tfhq^ghghtufeg our uiiderfland-
-iti&j ahd/atimitting tha-t-p^fpeC^^fi the .Deity whiefilis difpkyedvin
^heart, and ddpqfcs^it ui;ofl - effectually to-embrace affethe fublime
and ineftimable truths ti£^e^cl^oni{if>
o: T-k®8 E.?ire- theAundeniable'"atidrbe®PfiGfeh^t^ft^50l ^0:::piC
i*!1 u rA£ H is tor r in^nerM $3 but o f if f TRnobfeifigfenrar:,gpf ^his
flately tree tif fShowledge, .41 x sc'OR^jofe a[-ptertieu|air
tiiftrid (liich afemifcche. lidltiwi^g?pl^iTite®H^riSblit^3 fimnchy i©fe
confined and , fecal,, and. , multi tend chiefly, to' ithe .defoription imd
impFove.ment'crfpoS'pafttcijto^of^^
V; THEifitpatictti p f this county (fechdedrina: manner from the refl
;pf ;Mthn^<>rkdej^dtyniake. albdiffant objedsy defe daflikdly feed arid
regarded; by athet pblitey^ learned,: andJibufy sw&rlds ?ryefc^teeve#
coneefnsdts intereft ind reputation«, itmeed - not be •ufjljed, 'Gentlemen,
may have ".feme claim to your -attention, who have,» natural
conneifibn with, and,relation!,to,it. ;
I t matters leisfitoxdrangers Whether Jthe arts in;a..'dilknt-Ica6ilty
flourilhy are;-at a- ftandj --or decay & whether ■; the: devesral Natural
iProduCtiobs areiwell 'dralbmanagedly randesflopdror not j juffly .eflfi-
mated ' and difefifed biff ot ,uotherwi& 5
proper and intereflang difquifitions for tM?inhttlStants; f
T q awake attention to thermal add ' publick intereft of -the
C o u n te d wast neceflaryi»to IheW iihe ptsefent date o f Knowledge
with regafd to Arts and Metals, and'in many particulars to hint at
a , . alterations