394 The fame Methods ofReafoning common to 



a fuperior, as well as of exciting a difpofition to a more va- 

 luable remuneration in fublequent trials, loon difcover the 

 bias of the operator's mind, and artfully (Irengthcn that pre- 

 difpofing partiality which fets mature inveltigation afide. 

 Thus frequently may a dilinterefted perfon be the innocent 

 caufe of much error, and the occafion of nianv tirefome and 

 laborious experiments. 



5(LTX. The favie Methods of Reafonivg covimon to JSIathc- 

 maiics atul to Natural Hijiory and other Bi-anchas oj 

 Phyjics . By Mr. R . H E K ON . 



Y, 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



OUR valuable Publication fupplics much agreeable 

 evidence of the conftant advancement of pbvfical fcience in 

 all its branches. Yet one cannot help obfcrving, that there 

 exift, between the votaries of the ftudics of pure and mixed 

 mathematics, and the ftudcnts of chemifiry and natural hif- 

 tory, a mutual je;doufy and mifunderlianJing, which are, I 

 fear, fometimes not a little inaufpicious to the general pro- 

 grefs of philofophy. You fiiall rarely fee mathematics and 

 natural hiltory ilourifli at the fame time, and in the fame 

 fchool of fcience. The mathematician looks with contempt 

 on the naturalift ; and that contempt the naturaliil feldom 

 fails abundantly to repay. There is even fuppofed to be an 

 incompatibility between thefe diflcrent fiudics, lb great, that 

 he who excels in the one muft not hope to fucceed in the 

 other. 



But thefe. Sir, are merely groundlefs prejudices. It is not 

 to propofe a paradox — when 1 affirm, that " the truths of 

 mathematics, and the reafonings by which thefe are difco- 

 vercd, have the moft exaft analogy with thole of natural hif- 

 tory, and indeed of every other branch of fcience that can be 

 named." I am induced to fend you the following lliort ex- 

 planation of this propofition, not in the idea ot fupplyiiig ia 

 It a new diicovery for the ufc of the fcicntitic and the learned, 

 whole views are truly profound and enlarged ; but, as believ- 

 ing it of great importance, that this principle iLould be ren- 

 dered familiar to the minds of thofc who are now entering 

 upon philofophical (Uidy ; and as hoping that fome of thofe 

 who are mere bigots of mathematics, and of thofe who are, 

 on the other hand, mere bigots of natural hillory, may be 

 brought mutually into good humour by it. 



I. Confider the nature of thofe reafonings by which ma- 



_ 4 thematical 



