PREFACE. 3 



The words idea, perception, fenfation, recollec- 

 tion, fuggeftion, and aflbciation, are each of them 

 ufed in this treatife in a more limited fenfe than in 

 the writers of metaphyfic. The author was in 

 doubt, whether he mould rather have fubftituted 

 new words inftead of them ; but was at length of 

 opinion, that new definitions of words already in 

 ufe would be lefs burthentbme to the memory of 

 the reader. 



A great part of this work has Iain by the writer 

 above twenty years, as fome of his friends can tef- 

 tify : he had hoped by frequent revilion to have 

 made it worthy the acceptance of the public ; this 

 however his other perpetual occupations have in 

 part prevented, and may continue to prevent, as long 

 as he may be capable of reviling it ; he therefore begs, 

 of the candid reader to accept of it in its prefent 

 flate, and to excufe any inaccuracies of expreffion, 

 or of conclufion, into which the intricacy of his 

 fubjecl:, the general imperfection of language, or 

 the frailty he has in common with other men, may 

 have betrayed him ; -and from which he has not the 

 vanity to believe this treatife to be exempt. 



B 2 ZOONOMIA, 



