TO THE 



LORD BJSHOP OF LANDAFF. 



MY LORD, 



IT is feldom of much confequence to be 

 informed concerning the circumftances 

 which have fuggefted any literary under- 

 taking. If, however, it is not a fubjeft of 

 curiofity to the public, it is at leaft of gra- 

 titude to me, that it was the perufal of your 

 Lordfhips two firft volumes of Chemical 

 Eflays, that firft convinced me of the prac- 

 ticability of making philofophy popular, and 

 induced me to project the prefent publi- 

 cation. 



Your Lordmip will, I fear, difcover that 

 this is not the fum total of my obligation 

 to your incomparable work; but that I have 

 freely ufed, and almoft abufed, the liberty 

 your Lordmip was fo kind as to grant me 

 of extracting from it. In every point of 

 view, therefore, whatever merits the Econo- 

 my of Nature may be found to poiTefs, are 

 A 3 ultimately 



