Recapitulation. 289 



new science. In Natural History^ the progress 

 of philosophers, within the last hundred years, 

 has been no less signal and honourable. The 

 amount of what has been aceomplished in various 

 plans of classification, in the corrections of no- 

 menclature, and in additions to the former lists of 

 specimens in natural history, more particularly in 

 zoology, botany, mineralogy, is too great to be 

 <jollected or exhibited by any individual. A si- 

 milar extension of our knowledge has taken place 

 in Medicine, in Agriculture, in Geography, and in 

 the principles as well as practice of Mechanic 

 Arts. All these come under the general denomi- 

 nation of Physical Scieivce. It is too evident to 

 admit of a doubt, that there never was a period in 

 which so much enlightened attention was paid to 

 objects of this kind, or any thing like such a sum 

 of improvement introduced as in the eighteenth 

 century. 



Some observers of the revolutions and progress 

 of science have divided the century under review 

 into three parts, and considered each part as par- 

 ticularly distinguished by the cultivation of one 

 of the principal physical sciences. From 1700 

 till 1735, the Newtonian Philosophy engaged the 

 largest share of the attention of the learned. 

 How great a portion of the publications and con- 

 troversies of that day had a respect to this philo- 

 sophy, the well informed reader will not be at any 

 loss to recollect. From 1735 till about the year 

 1760 or 1770, may be called the period o^ Natural 

 History; as the various branches of study in- 

 cluded in this general denomination, more espe- 

 cially zoology and botany, were never before, in 



Vol. Ill, " U 



