^ MFC Of SIR J;AM1^5 5.T5UART. Sept, 21, 



Greece was fettled by a people in a migratory and 

 fcarbarotis ftate, though not quite fo barbarous as the 

 unhappy wandering tribes of the Celts, who thinly 

 peopled Greece, and the marfhes and forgfts of old Eu- 

 rope, as the unpolifhed American people did the con- 

 tinent of Columbus when it was firft viftted by its con- 

 q^uerors. 



Sscra! man, therefore, is rapid in his improvement, 

 beyond all the calculations of philqfophical hiflorians. 

 The poifon is expelled, the virtuous Itudent revives. — 

 He treads on the firm ground of his own rational 

 powers, and fpurns the dark and infidious affaffin of 

 his religious belief. 



A painter, it is faid, in Italy fliowcd a pi£lure of the 

 crucifixion to his fon, who was about to publifh fome- 

 what againft the religious prejudices of his country, 

 tind- pointing to it faid, '< My fon, behold the fate of a 

 *' Reformer ;" but if my fon ftiould meditate a defence 

 of religion, and fear the fcorn of philofophers, I would 

 fhow him a portrait of Sir Ifaac, and fay, " My fon, 

 f fear not to be a Chriftian ; remember the fentiments 

 f and the reputation of Sir Ifaac Newton." 



This work of Sir James Steuart was printed and pub- 

 llflicd at Francfort on the Maine, for John Barnard 

 liicheniberg the elder, in the year 1757, in 4to. 



In the year 1758, and the following, the Britifh 

 IToufe of Commons took up the confideration of a fta- 

 tute to regulate a general uniformity of weights and 

 ir.eafures throughout the united kingdoms, which hm] 

 been fo often unfuccefsfully attempted. 



This called the attention of Sir James, not only to 

 the inveftigalion of the particular fubjedi: that engaged 

 that of the Houfe of Commons, but to devife a method 

 of rendering an uniformity of weights and meafurcs 

 ■univerfal. He thought the caufe of former dif.ippoint- 

 ments in' this ufeful purfuit had been the mi'daktn no- 

 tion that one or other of cur prefent meafures fliould be 

 adopted for ♦she new ft-iudard. After the plan hai 



