ADVERTISEMENT. Xlll 



to the influence of education, and the power of 

 moral habits, which cloud ourreafon with To many 

 prejudices. I have given, in the advertifement to 

 my firft Volume, the origin of this error, which 

 was firft broached h^ Newton, and the geometrical 

 refutation of it, in the explanation of the plates at 

 the head of that Volume. 



J have reafpn to apprehend that my moderation 

 and candor have not been imitated. There ap- 

 peared on the 2ift of laft November, in the Paris- 

 Journal, a very fevere anonymous criticiAn of the 

 Studies of Nature. It fets out, indeed, with 

 a general commendation of that Work ; but it 

 attempts to deftroy, in detail, all the good which 

 the public voice feems to have extorted from it^ 

 Thefe ftridures had been preceded, a little while 

 before, by certain other anonymous letters, in 

 which my Book was not mentioned by name, but 

 a cold and fubtile poifon was fprinkled over it, 

 without any Teeming defign, very much calculated 

 to produce it's effed at the long-run. I was not a 

 little furprized to find this malked battery opened 

 by an unknown adverfary upon me; for I wascon- 

 fcious of having endeavoured to deferve well of all 

 mankind, and could not imagine that I ftood in 

 any one's way. But on being informed that feveral 

 of my friends had, to no purpofe, prefented to ths 

 Journal of Paris, copies of verfes and profe flric- 



tures, 



