THE 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



.AN the comparison between the moderns and an- 

 cients, a distinction ought to be made between the 

 arts and sciences which require long experience and 

 practice to bring them to perfection, anil those which 

 depend solely on talent and genius. Without doubt, 

 the former in so long a series of ages, have been ex- 

 tended more and more, and brought to a very high de- 

 gree of perfection by the moderns, who in this respect 

 surpass the ancients, though the art of printing and 

 many other discoveries have not a little contributed 

 to it. We know the astronomers in our days under- 

 stand much better the nature of the stars, and the whole 

 planetary system, than Hipparchua, PtoKmy, or any 

 other of the ancients. But it may be doubted whether 

 they had gone so far, unaided by telescopes. The 

 moderns have certainly perfected the art of navigation; 

 nay, and discovered now worlds ; but yet without the 

 assistance of the compass, America, in all probability, 

 Iia'.lstili remained unknown. Likewise by long obser. 

 yation and experiments often repeated, we have 

 the arts of botany, anatomy, and chirurgery. 





