2^Z STUDfÈS OF NATURE. 



of Sciences formerly maintained that her light did 

 not warm, after experiments made on her rays, 

 and on the ball of a thermometer, with a burning 

 mirror. But this is not the firft error into which 

 we have been betrayed by our books and our ma- 

 chinery, as we fhall fee when we come to fpeak of 

 the decompofition of the folar ray by the prifm. 

 Neither is it the firft time that an affembly of Li- 

 terati have, without examination, adopted an opi- 

 nion on the authority of perfons who made expe- 

 riments with much formality and ftatelinefs. And 

 this is the way that errors get into vogue. The 

 one in queflion has, however, been completely re- 

 futed, firft at Rome, and afterward at Paris, by a 

 very fimple experiment. Some one took a fancy 

 to expofe a velfel full of water to the light of the 

 Moon, and to place one fimilar to it in the ftjade. 

 The water in the firft veflel was evaporated much 

 fooner than that in the fécond. 



To no purpofe do we exert all our induftry and 

 ingenuity ; we can lay hold of nothing in Nature, 

 except refults and harmonies : firft principles uni- 

 verfally efcape us. And, what is worft of all, the 

 n>ethods of our Sciences have exercifed a perni- 

 cious influence on our morals and on religion. It 

 is very eafy to miflead men with refpedl to an in- 

 telligence which governs all things, when nothing 

 is prefented to them as firft caufes but mechanical 



means. 



