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mind, will anticipate criticifm. Neither from 

 works of this fort, on which may poffibly de- 

 pend the fuccefs or difappointment, profit or 

 lofs, of fubfequent experiment, fhould the pa- 

 trons of improvement wifh to have the ftric- 

 tures of experience and intelligence averted. 



An ingenuous and candid reader will not 

 be lefs thankful for a new hint, or a new 

 refult of experiment, which he finds to be 

 fraught with his own and the public advan- 

 tage, becaufe it is not unaccompanied in the 

 fame volume by inequality and imperfection! 

 And in return for the liberality of re- 

 ception which this Society is confident of 

 finding with the public, we think it incum- 

 bent upon us to give the following aflurance, 

 viz. That the fterling worth of thofe ani- 

 madverfions which proceed from real know- 

 ledge, and from that zeal for the advance- 

 ment of truth which this Society has mainly 

 in view, will be ever gratefully diftinguifhed 

 from the cafual cavils of inexperience, or ir- 

 rational attachment to cuftom. 



The 



