\HT 



W HEN ! first read over the preceding trea- 

 tise, I had little thought, or design of making so large 

 an extract from it. But I afterwards considered, 

 1. That this might be a means of making that valuable 

 work more extensively known, (as men of learning 

 would naturally desire to see and examine the proofs 

 at large) and 2. That it might serve for a kind of 

 recapitulation of the preceding volumes. Such a 

 recapitulation as, on the one hand, could, not be un- 

 entertaining to the sensible reader ; and on the other^ 

 might repress the vanity which is apt to arise in our 

 minds, when we imagine we have made new discover- 

 ies. Alas ! how little new has been discovered, even 

 by Gassendi, M&ileLranche, Mr. Locke, or Sir Isaac 

 Newton ? How plain is it, that in philosophy, as 

 well as the course of human affairs, there is nothing 

 new under the sun I 



The more we consider this, the more we shall be 

 convinced of the inconceivable littleness of human 

 knowledge. But although with our utmost efforts, 

 H 2 



