hopes to be able to eflabliili a mutual interchange ci knowledge, atid 

 to effedt a friendly literary intcrcourfc among all nations ; by which 

 nian (hall come gradually to know, to efteem, to aid, and to benefit 

 his fellow creatures wherever he finds them. The human heart is 

 nearly the fame at all times ; and it is perhaps alike fufceptible of 

 piety, beneficence and generofity among all people, if errors that too 

 often pervert the underftanding were ersdicated. The proper bufinefs 

 of philofophy is to eradicate thofe errors which eftrange mankind 

 from each other, and to extend the fphere of beneficence among men 

 wider and wider flill, till it fliall comprehend every individual of the 

 human race. Should the editor of this work be enabled to eftablifh 

 the foundation of this fyftem of univerfal civilization, he would reckon 

 himfelf Angularly fortunate indeed, and think that he had accomplifhed 

 one of the mofl glorious achievements that can fall to the lot of man 

 to perform. Animated with this hope, his exertions have been great j 

 and he trufts they will not in future be unworthy of the objedt he 

 lias in view. He is happy in being able to fay, that he has been 

 more fortunate in forming conneftions with men of eminence in the 

 literary world than he had any reafon to expecfl ; and were he here to 

 mention the names of thofe who are to honour him with their cor- 

 refpondence, it is hard to fay whether it would moft cxpofe him to 

 be cenfured as vain, or bring his veracity in queftion. , Suflke it 

 therefore at prefent only to fay, that there is fcarcely a civilized na- 

 tion on the globe in which he has not a reafonable affurance of having 

 feme confidential correfpondcnts, on whofe knov/ledge and zeal in the 

 caufe of fcience he can fully rely. It is indeed to that ardour for 

 knowledge among them that he is folely indebted for the favourable 

 countenance he has obtained. Into all nations, therefore, where the 

 Englifli language is in any way known, this work will probably find 

 its way; and of courfe it may be expefted that the ufcful difcovcries, or 

 literary effays of ingenious men, will have a better chance of being 

 generally read, and the writers of them made known among men'of 

 letters, if inferted in it, than perhaps in any other publication. To 

 give this work, therefore, the full value of which it is fufceptible, the 

 editor warmly folicits communications from ingenious men of all na- 

 tions. Brevity and originality in fc'xentif.c difquifitiiais, utility with re- 

 fpedl to arts, accuracy and the moll fcrupulous fidelity in regard to ex- 

 feriments, nature and truth in the delineation of real life, and elegance 

 in polite literature and the belles lettres, are what he chiefly wilhes to 

 obtain. Though utility Ihall ever be his chief aim, he is well aware, 

 that to be able to accomplilh this aim, it is neceffary that the work 

 Ihould be as agreeable as poffible. Dry and intricate details, therefore, 

 it fhall be his lludy to avoid. To polilh the manners and to huma- 

 nize the heart, he believes to be the firft fteps required in an attempt 

 to infpire a tafte far literary excellence, and to excite exertions for at- 

 taining the highefl perfeftion in arts. This he hopes to be able to 

 effed, by a careful feleftion of elegant differtations, charafleriftical 

 anecdotes, entertaining tales, and Uvely fallies of wit and humour, that 

 fliall be naturally calculated to awaken the attention of youth, and to 

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