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‘PREFACE. v 
Tur object of this fociety is the fame 
with that of the other academies, which have 
been eftablifhed in different parts of Europe, 
the promotin g of natural philofophy, and of 
literature, by communicating to the public 
fach differtations as fhall be tranfmitted. to 
them; either by their own members or by 
others. *Tis allowed, that thefe two branches 
of learning, efpecially the former, ,are more 
promoted by the obfervation of facts than 
by the moft ingenious reafonings and difputa- 
tions. Toadiligent, and even fometimes to 
a carelefs inquirer, many valuable experi- 
ments, no doubt, occur; and thefe would 
enrich our colleGions, tho’, without this me- 
thod of conveyance, they would be intircly 
loft tothe public. The united judgments too 
of men correct and confirm each other by 
communication, their frequent intercourfe 
excites emulation, and from the comparifon 
of different phacnomena, remarked by diffe- 
rent perfons, there often refult general truths, 
of which, from one of thefe phacnomena, no 
man of the greateft fagacity could entertain 
any 
