xvlii PREFACE. 



thefe with a view to the promotion of na- 

 tural hiftory. When we confider him in 

 this light of a mafter of fuch difciples as 

 thefe, and many others, fome of whofe 

 works make up the following book, he 

 muft appear like Homer at the head of the 

 poets, Socrates at the head of Greek mo- 

 ralifts, and our Newton at the head of the 

 mathematical philofophers. Among all 

 thefe extraordinary qualifications there ap- 

 pear throughout his writings fpirit, candor, 

 a due regard for others, and proper mo- 

 defty and diffidence of himfelf. 



I will give a fhort fpecimen of his way 

 of thinking in relation to the degree of hu- 

 man knowledge hitherto attained by man 

 on the fubjeft of natural hiftory. A fub- 

 jeft on which it was very natural for a lefs 

 extenfive genius to be vain, as he has had 

 fo great a fhare himfelf in the advancement 

 of it. The paffage is taken out of the in- 

 trodudiion to the new edition of his Syftem 

 of nature, and is to this effeft. ' How 

 • fmall a part of the great works of nature 

 ' is laid open to our eyes, and how many 



* things 



