and the Scieiirrs dependent upon them. £rf» 



coveries made by it in natural philosophy arc of so surprising 

 a nature, that to pretend lo despise it, and obstinately to 

 grovel amongst a lew properties ol" surfaces and solid bodies, 

 part of which were discovered by means of analysis, denotes 

 a very narrow and prejudiced mind. 



It is much to be wished that the few men who studv^ 

 analysis in this country, would cease to lose their time and 

 mis-spend ibeir talents in the discussion of vain subtilties, 

 and cavilling with its first principles, (amongst whom the 

 opposers of negative quantities cut a conspicuous figure,) 

 but combine in exerting themselves to increase its pouer • 

 and riches, and endeavouring, in some degree, to keep pae« 

 with the analysts upon the continent in their discoveries. 



I cannot bcre forbear making a few remarks upon the 

 method of study made use of in the university of Oxford 

 and the principal seminaries of this kingdom, as I look 

 upon it as a very great interruption to the progress of sci- 

 ence. Regardless of the wonderful advances made in the 

 sciences and arts, they treat their learners with contempt, 

 and, obstinately shutting their eyes against their present 

 most enlightened state, seem determined that nothing but 

 the study of words and ridiculous attempts at elegant com- 

 position in the Greek and Latin languages shall employ 

 their scholars. Are tlie sciences which " weiijh the sun 

 and his revolving stars;" measure the velocity oT licrht and 

 the distance of the fixed orbs; draw the lightning from hea- 

 ven ; weigh the air ; enable us to traverse the clouds ; guide 

 the mariner througli the trackless deep ; separate the rays 

 of light; class the animated and decompose the inanimate 

 bodies of the earth, measure and describe its surface, and 

 bless its inhabitants by increasing the number of their en- 

 joyments from their discoveries — to be utterly neglected, for 

 barren unceasing attempts at imitating the style of Xeno- 

 phon, Cicero, or Horace ? Such a course of education, which 

 insults reason and sets common sense at defiance, is so 

 amazing an instance of folly and infatuation, that, although 

 we have the strongest evidence of its truth, we can scarcely 

 bring ourselves to believe it; and it almost inclines a person 

 to suppose that it is a system formed with the intention of 

 debasing and rendering ignorant, instead of improving the 

 faculties of the mind. Had the same mi.>dc of education 

 been pursued throughout Europe, science would have been 

 checked, and the world could never have advanced beyond 

 the knowledge of the Greeks and Romans. 



It is not my wish totally to condemn classical learningr, 

 but the abuse of it. Tiic Latin language, from the many 



valuable 



