1 92 Natural Itistofy. [Chap. Ill ■ 



more simple^ intelligible, and dignified aspect. 

 As long as this branch of natural history shall be 

 cultivated, a large share of gratitude and admira- 

 tion will be due from its votaries to Scheele and 

 Bei'gman. 



Though the refinements of chemical analysis* 

 were carried to a great length by the celebrated 

 mineralogists last mentioned, and entitle them to" 

 high honours, yet they were afterwards exceeded 

 by Klaproth, of Berlin, who applied himself to the 

 analysis of minerals with a degree of zeal and per- 

 severance which no dilTiculties could discourage^ 

 and with an ingenuity and accuracy which enabled 

 him to penetrate far beyond his predecessors. He 

 corrected many errors, and supplied important de^ 

 fects in the analytic method. He invented new- 

 instruments of great value, and new processes, 

 more easy and expeditious, and of more certain 

 result, than those before in use. It is, perhaps, to 

 his labours, as much as to those of any individual, 

 that we are indebted for some of the most curious 

 knowledge in mineralogy that we possess. The 

 same course of refined and subtile chemical in- 

 vestigation, by which Klaproth was so much di- 

 stinguished, was pursued further by succeeding 

 chemists, and particularly by M. Vauquelin of 

 France. 



Wliile this astonishing progress was making in 

 mineralogy, by means of chemical inquiry, the at- 

 tention to external characters, which had been for 

 j^oine time out of vogue, began to be resumed, and 

 led to considerable improvements in the diagnos- 

 tic rules, and in tlie nomenclature of the science. 

 For this we are cliiefly indebted to the celebrated 



