Language«
Method.
| ^±1’ -3
Method, and Catagogue o f Foffils, afford many critical defcriptibh'SricSf a huffier
ofSpepimens from Cornwall, and many ufeful theories decfocul from ,thcm.
Some fcattered Iviemorandum’s pn .our* Metals, stria Wanes, ter Be1 found
in t#Tftri&ritioris o f rme -ftoyaf ;ahd t l# late ’ Mr. 'vlfetchinfbn feiade
fotrie juft d^bfofrmtirins on o A Iteat* «si^x*fe&:r . •Ir-&tv«^ot .-made thetilssft advantage;
o f either without naming place and author.
Few Studies are mote ufeful to,mankind than1 ral Hist or\ , but it is
a particular Science, and .to read it with pleafiire arid improvement (as 'there is
a connexion betwixt Sciences as well 4 ^ s ) ^ ^ $ 9quiro.fome Wgviou-- at^d pre-
paratoiytoov^dgeof t t e leaned fengua^s^; ai^ i^d^ed of .the lifter Sciences.
For want of fuflident and adequate expreffions in the Englifh tongue
Naturai. History muft needs borrow from the ©reek and? Latin/ It muft
alfo ftruggle to naturalize die technical terms bf Geometry, Geography and Othlr
Arts, in fhort, a Natural iliftorian for the fake of properly partfoularizing fiich a
variety of bodies as fall within Ibis notice, muft. have the liberty o f taking
words from every band ; ’ the fenfo wodld dfcape in' long fentences and ft multitude
of Words ? aM tfe ttoavdidabii cifeumteeutioMS of ihE' EHglAtongaeji'if
they did not deftroy the meaning, would1 neceffarily ibdte the imjMffion.' ’
T hese technical words, however, are inferted with relu(ftau0!3>:t®ridfiin rfia«ih
places more efpecially as by -their abilrarited fpecuktions are calculated .foriifbfc
peraial of thofe who are moil conterfant in thefe ftudies. ■ ■',
T he Method which the principal divifions are thrown ii^ risy d a ^ fudS*?|s
the feveral parts of the Treatife fuggefted, not confined to^ahy fyftem r^q rg h e
Subjects treated under die general heads,; clafled and digefted a d d i n g to/rthe
method of any other Writer .
As the »end of Method is perfpicuity, when it. appearedto me. that I was
in pofleffion of that, I never thought it neceffary to feacch in books for the other.
I follow no leader, but I have flighted no guidance, nor refufed to accept of any
clue to regulate my conduct: there may be too much of Syitern, as well as
too little; Subjects may be crammed fb clofe, that they will hide one another;
if they are arbitrarily driven together under a clafs .lefs obvious, they will not
fiiit their companions, nor become their place, nor he eafily found. •
But without an orderlydifpofition Natural History, fares much worfe,
’tis but a confided, undifciplined crowd of fubjefts ; drftinft, clearafirangemerit
places them in their due light, without which, as the eye can fee no beauty,
the mind can judge of no. properties, competition, or. relation. Though there
muft be no fhacldes, yet order, connexion, rank, and relation, muft be ftn<%
obferved, and therefore with .other lovers of Natural History I here take a
pleafure
,[ Î2 j ]
pleafure in acknowledging my obligations to him 1 who with, a .certàinj .brevity
and happinefs, peculiar to liimfelf has been indefatigable in digefting . the
feveral products of Nature into . ..the regularity and cofoptehenfivenefs- of
îfyfteips; alth ^ p h.'arfriwobfdriritieslJ&nd iperhaj^wlimproprieti^ may remain yet
ltd :hie:,foforid)w|risf 1«
.■ ^ L ty c .m ^ fd frdAvn To. no ditinmtml PJan^Lconfiné Jijjfelf to no man's ,
HypojhcfU, n Ofomdulge.m^ldf often i î s ^ h f e l ï ï ^ , r f t h c uiLagmaüdn. It m i t f f
be feféried fô ij? tÆufo^hi d ^ | c nt i whether is?anyHypothefis here,
bu’t'yyhlt appeSh. to ' t u r ^ ^ ^ d ^ a^fiiifiÆnftryal ®4£treally does to the
Adhlior)'éfifièf to 'feffi^orfoa^hy a pYm jg f refulfqf
tbîé ftatufe.^Knutg^.' '
T o ''bSmfh' all \Hyjk>thefis, whi& bf‘ i®ATÎMALJd¥([s'i^ ^ ' Ffypothefo.
remain difputabll |ndfrmëcMeh/wBm<!
rîffilè Ode) b f the avenues
doned for-aimigg at'Tmth,' •^fflo^mtlfey*MTs^ffle/fiwk!1
- \ Buuiab Kypothefis may beMidîi^id,\'a!Mïwhél^^^gr^ifefofrd'f§f4tdùnt%}r
everything; .they are motikw^è-fod^fidedéntlÿ'dîeyiîiifru&feiîl)
J u l i a n pfokincelaf theirbmdkef. ?;‘>-Tbite’ affe mbàfièateg-af«Wîàe« whidH
man had better let alone, jândty0Mj^te^viÿii^*ighQ^iiGdi^ Hàs* given us *a .
P p K ^ P l and
cqjleâivevftate ; foe hasw^vdi^^io'^feleinto to- .trafckY&e f$tffc .jftelîàÿîgs tro u g h
their forerai migrations arid' mèanders,' tovïfariflhhfo| a # f ê ^ p t e % f o
wdtks’sof "Nature hefod&"hô$,defigh? that wè':Mould ,7préfiin^)tfi(3Ùfly ,fteVÏfè;
mimiok,» or make, but- tifefreVdrfe, fofeffoëbrate'1 h # '^ r ^ ? ^ ^ h ^M A ‘f 'Hrs-J
tory therefore has its bounds, which ff»it (éxèefiîs, i f gets wilfully into the’
dark, and confirmes our time -in endîefs .and futile difqmfittürié';;-:NÀTURAL
H istory has. its‘bounds, moft apparent to foofe who know rnpft of/ît’- among
theereft of its fifes therefore (Upon proper intimacy) it will certainly teach us a
due eftririate- of. our OWn Weak' abilities,» fhort-fighted fancies, JaM atrthe fitriie
time ,the u n lim i^ ^ k th om ab le depth'^rid hbigfet of the Works 'df(Sÿn. /
fe&ÉË ÆP“ 8» k w i S j allowed,-have beèn «feid
% h ,a number .of fobje^J butj.pains-fof.this kindïJl agree,, do,riot-,always merit'
fuccds, .neither ar^they entitl^i to conufiendation, but when’ thfey they 'are apdyi
«Wfeyed for $$pufbtfio|* of truth;, ftnd'fettlingfom&'new or
doubtful part of ufeful knowlé^^fe
ffigbt be fome .fatisfadioti^ pofterity (I. thjnfe every one, is agreed that
it müft. be fo to us).,to fea the patrifogpial habitations of their anceftprs, I have
H ttoaisus P rofèffi^tîpfal, imSweden.
w inferted