Review of O. Gregory's Treatise on Mechanics. 73 
and some of her most potent agents have been converted 
into auxiliaries for the aid and relief of man. 'To a nation 
aspiring after wealth and greatness, or to individuals aiming 
at the same, or the more important objects of mental en- 
largement, what study, what art, or science, is more enti- 
tled to encouragement, or ardent pursuit, than the science 
of mechanics, both in theory and practice ! 
Our author, who has given us two closely printed octavo 
volumes on this important subject, together with another of 
plates, has certainly been happy in the selection of a sub- 
Jeet, which is worthy of the attention of the learned through- 
out the world. |The theory of mechanics he considers as 
having been little attended to in England, a country which 
has n almost the cradle of the science, and which under 
: ‘genius of Newton has afforded it, almost its 
whole vigor and expansion. Since his time, however, he 
thinks. the dieve'tha lanratintes and are behind their neigh- 
bour he continent, in many important particulars — 
Among these, he accounts their neglect of the analysis of 
their great countryman, which foreigners have seized, and 
applied, with great success, to the development of many 
valuable principles. Without the conjunction of theory and 
practice, he thinks no one can be a complete mechanician, 
and to deliver a system, which shall comprehend both, ‘is 
his professed object. In what manner he has executed this 
work, is our present purpose to show. . 
Originality, in productions of a scientific character, which 
are necessarily chained to principles fixed and immutable 
as are the laws of nature, can be little expected. In that 
now before us, which is intended to comprise whatever has 
been discovered or investigated on the subject of mechan- 
ics, it would be impossible even for Newton himself to be 
more than partially original; yet our author sets out. with 
an appearance of originali'y, and would have himself con- 
sidered, if not the author, discoverer, and inventor of what 
his book contains, at least entitled to some credit as such. 
This, though & common artifice with book-makers, is un- 
worthy of one who has indisputable pretensions to the very 
highest attainments in science. In the introduction, he 
says, “In the composition of the first volame, I have de- 
rived material assistance from the labours of several of my 
predecessors in this department of science.” Now, if there 
Vor. VIE.—No. i 10 
