viii PREFACE 



ral reflexions that will arife on this occa-r 

 fion muft be to the diladvantage of fuch 

 purfuits. Yet were the whole fcene of na- 

 ture laid open to our views, were we ad- 

 mitted tQ behold the connections and de^ 

 pendencies of every thing on every other, 

 and to trace the ceconomy of nature thro' 

 the fmaller as well as greater parts of this 

 globe, we might perhaps be obliged to own 

 we were miftaken ; that the Supreme Ar-- 

 chitedl had contrived his works in fuch a 

 manner, that we cannot properly be faid to 

 be unconcerned in any one of them ; and 

 therefore that iludies which feem upon a 

 flight view to be quite ufelefs, may in the 

 end appear to be of no fmall importance to 

 mankind. Nay, were we only to look 

 back into the hiftory of arts and fciences, 

 we muft be convinced, that we are apt to 

 judge over haftily of things of this nature. 

 We fhould there find many proofs, that he 

 who gave this inftinctlve curiofity to fome 

 of his creatures, gave it for good and great 

 purpofes, and that he rewards with ufefuU 

 difcoveries all thefe minute refearches. 



It 



