120 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



elements of human Science, which we deem infal- 

 lible ; and I combat that pretended principle of 

 our knowledge, which we call Reafon, 



After having cleared the ground of our opi- 

 nions, in my firft Studies, I proceed, in thofe that 

 follow, to rear the fabric of human Knowledge. I 

 examine what may be the portion of our intelli- 

 gence, at which the light of Nature fixes it's boun- 

 dary ; and what we underfland by the terms 

 Beauty, Order, Virtue, and their contraries. I de- 

 duce the evidence of it, from feveral laws, phyfical 

 and moral, the fentiment of which is univerfal 

 among all Nations of the Globe. I afterwards 

 make application of the phyfical laws, not to the 

 order of the Earth, but to that of Plants. 



I balanced long, I acknowledge, between thefe 

 two orders. The firft would have exhibited, I 

 confidently affirm, relations entirely new, ufeful 

 to Navigation, to Commerce, and to Geography. 

 But the fécond has prefented me with relations 

 equally new, equally agreeable, more eafily de- 

 monftrable to the generality of Readers, of high 

 importance to Agriculture, and, confequently, to 

 the moft numerous defcription of Mankind. Be- 

 fides, fome of the harmonic relations of this Globe 

 are to be found difplayed in my replies to the ob- 

 jedions againft Providence, and in the elementary 



relations 



