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ADVERTISEMENT. 



TH E Committee appointed by the Royal Society to dire^l the pub- 

 lication of the Fhilofophical 'TraJifatlions, take this opportunity to 

 acquaint the Public, that it fully appears, as well from the council-books 

 and journals of the Society, as from repeated declarations which have 

 been made in feveral former Tranfdclions, that the printing of them was 

 always, from time to time, the fingle aft of the refpeftive Secretaries, till 

 the Forty-feveuth Volume : the Society, as a Body, never intereflingthem- 

 ielves any further in their publication, than by occafionally recommending 

 the revival of them to fome of their Secretaries, when, from the particular 

 circumflances of their affairs, the Tranfadions had happened for any 

 length of time to be intermitted. And this feems principally to have 

 been done with a view to fatisfy the Public, that their ufual meetings 

 were then continued foj- the improvement of knowledge, and benefit of: 

 mankind, the great ends of their firfl: inflitution by the Royal Charters, 

 and which they have ever fince fteadily purfued. 



But the Society being of late years greatly inlarged, and their com- 

 munications more numerous, it was thought advifable, that a Committee 

 of their members fliould be appointed to reconfider the papers read be- 

 fore them, and feleft out of them fuch, as they fhould judge moft pro- 

 per for publication in the future 'Tranfadions ; which was accordingly 

 done upon the 26th of March 1752. And the grounds of their choice 

 are, and will continue to be, the importance and fingularity of the fub- 

 3 efts, or the advantageous manner of treating them; without pretending 

 to anfwer for the certainty of the fafts, or propriety of the reafonings, 

 contained in the fevtral papers f© publiflied, which muft dill reii on the 

 credit or judgment <:f their refpeftive authors* 



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