Vlll PREFACE 



collected into this volume, and concerning whom it was well 

 observed to me by a near relation of Bergmann, that the 

 greatest of Bergmann s discoveries was the discovery of Scheele. 

 It was not long before I learned, during a continuance of 

 our conversation, that my friend had, lying among his papers, 

 most of the following Essays, which he had been induced to 

 translate, at different periods, in consequence of the solicita- 

 tions of different persons, who were eager to obtain fuller 

 information concerning them than could be had from any 

 English book. I was no sooner apprised of this treasure, 

 than I became desirous of laying it open to public access ; 

 and accordingly offered, when he hesitated, because the trans- 

 lation was for the most part written when his acquaintance 

 with our language was very imperfect, and must therefore 

 be altogether unfit for the press, to revise and correct it as 

 well as circumstances would permit. And in performing 

 this task of minute diligence, I have not contented myself 

 with a bare perusal of the manuscript, but have almost 

 constantly compared it with two German translations, one 

 by Professor Kaestner of Gottingen, which is by no means 

 free from inaccuracies and mistakes, and the other by Dr. 

 Crell or some of his coadjutors, which, though for the sake 

 of brevity some parts of different papers are omitted, and 

 others abridged, I have found very exactly to convey the 

 author's sense. Hence, although the most careless reader 

 of the following pages will undoubtedly be offended with 

 many harsh constructions, and many phrases of foreign 

 growth, yet I hope with some confidence, that few obscure 

 passages will occur, and still fewer in which the meaning 

 of the original has been misrepresented. The aids which 

 I have just mentioned have enabled me to exhibit a faithful 

 translation ; but in order to have stood any chance for 

 attaining correctness of language, I must have transcribed 



