jv P R E F A C E, 



The Improvements that have heen made hy the 

 generality of Writers fi?2ce his Time are indeed Jo 

 few^ and for the moft Part fo trivial^ rather 

 adding to and -perplexing his Words^ like the 

 Commentators on the Greek Foet^ than either 

 d earing up or enlarging his Senfe^ that I could 

 7Wt but wonder at [eeing fo jnuch done to fo little 

 Purpofe. As I had refolved therefore to give 

 the Public a neiv Treatife on this Subjecf^ which 

 I knezv vjas very much wanted^ and not likely^ 

 as 1 could hear^ to be undertaken by any abler 

 Hand^ it was my Bufinefs to confider what Me- 

 thods I fhould take to avoid the Imputation foge- 

 jierally thrown on others^ and compofe a Work 

 that fhould have in Fa5i what it promifed, an 

 Air of Novelty. ' How I have proceeded^ 

 is what I aju now to inform th£ Reader. 



All that was folid^ and had the Tefl of Expe- 

 .rienceto confirm it ^ in the Old Writers^ I have 

 retained \ leaving outy and fometimes briefly 

 refuting^ their falfe Reafonings^ idle fuperflitious 

 Obfervances, and weak fabulous Accounts of Na- 

 tural Caufes, The Improvements that have late- 

 ly been made in experimental Philofophy enabled 

 me to do tlns^ and will help every careful Wri- 

 ter to perform as much., or perhaps more ^ in a- 

 ny other Branch of Knowledge that depends 

 thereon. This was all I could promife myfelf in 

 the Article of rctvtnching ; and if I have given 

 any new Ornaynents to what is left^ by making 

 the Language either more modern or more per- 



