XIV ADVERTISEMENT. 



tures, in my vindication ; that long before this they 

 had rejeded feme fmall literary pieces, in which I 

 was mentioned to advantage, I became convinced 

 that a party had been there formed againft me. 

 Upon this, I had recourfe to the General Journal 

 of France, the impartial Compiler of which had the 

 goodnefs to infert my defence and remonftrance, 

 in his paper of the 29th November, No. 143. 



Here, then, is a copy of my reply to the critic 

 who thought proper to employ concealment and 

 farcafm againft phyfical truths, and who afliimed, 

 in making his attack upon me, the poft of the 

 coward, and the arms of the ruffian. 



To the Compiler of the Joiirnal-General of France» 



SIR, 



*' A Writer who conceals himfelf under the 

 *' defcription of a 5c»///<2r>' (7/"/i?(? Pjr^^/é'Vj, jealous, I 

 *' fuppofe, of the gracious reception beftowed by 

 " the Public on my Studies of Nature, has got in- 

 " ferted into the Journal of Paris, of yefterday the 

 *' 2 1 ft, a very ill-natured criticifm of that Work. 



" He feems to have taken particular offence at 

 " my having prefumed to accufe the Academicians 

 " of an error, in concluding from the increafe of 

 " quantity in the degrees of Latitude toward the 

 ** Poles, that the Earth was flattened there ; at my 



attributing 



