54 '^be Bijhop of Landaff on Orichalciun: 



it may feem to be more properly afcribed, ta 

 thole who live in the manhood or old age of the 

 ■world, than to thofe who exiiled in its infancy 

 or childhood : cfptcially as the means of acqui- 

 ring and communicating knowledge are, with 

 us, far more attainable than they were in the 

 times of either Greece or Rome. The Compafs 

 enables us to extend our refearches to every 

 quarter of the globe with the greateft eafej and 

 an hiltorical narration of wh:it is fecn in diilant 

 countries, is now infinitely more diffufed than 

 it could have been, before the invention of print- 

 ing ; yet, even wi:h thefe advantages, we are, in 

 a great meafure, ihangers to the natural hiftory 

 of the earth, and the civil hiftory of the nations 

 ■which inhabit it. He who imports 'Tutenag from 

 the Eaft Indies, or ivhite copper from CImia or 

 Japan, is lure of meeting with a ready market 

 for his merchandize in Europe, without being 

 afked any queflions concerning the manner how, 

 or the place where, they are prepared in Afia. 

 An ingenious manufacturer of thefe metallic 

 fubftances might wifii, probably, to acquire fome 

 information about them, in order to attempt a 

 domeftic imitation of themj but the merchant 

 who imports them, feems to be too little in- 

 terefled in the fuccefs of his endeavours, to take 

 much pains in procuring for him the requifitc 

 information. Imitations, however have been 

 made of them, and we have an European Tute^ 



nag. 



