PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. 107 



** That, by a profafion of writing, the 

 ** point is rendered fo perplexed and 

 ** intricate, that there appears not a bet^ 

 " ter way to come at the truth, than, ne- 

 ** gled^ing the arguments on both (ides, to 

 " apply diredly to fads for a folution, 

 " as. one would do upon a point newly 

 *• ftarted." With this introdudion or 

 preamble, is ufiiered m a new proje(5l for 

 a treaty of peace amongft the Englifli, 

 French, and German philofophers. No 

 mention is made of the Italians, the 

 Dutch, and others, though they were 

 pretty deeply engaged in the quarrel* 

 The reafon for which omiflionmay pofh- 

 bly be this, that the philofophers in Italy, 

 Holland, and elfewhere, chufe rather to 

 preferve the appearance of neutrality, an4 

 adt as mediators. A preliminary article 

 being firft fettled, namely, to confider the 

 feveral pretenfions of the contending 

 powers, as fo many points newly Jiarted, 

 and that without any regard to their re- 

 fpedlive memorials, there arofe a necefli- 

 ty, in the next place, in order to render 

 the negotiation the more confiftent with 



itfelf. 



