x Preface 



vistas into the philosophical explication of nature. Though standing so far 

 beyond most of his contemporaries in intellect and vision, there is abundant 

 evidence in these volumes that in the cooperative tasks which united the 

 scientific men of the time, largely conducted under the auspices of the 

 Royal Society, he was always ready to take unsparing pains, 'and to devote 

 himself without limit to the assistance of his colleagues. The operations 

 and discussions preparatory to the gravity survey of Schehallion, sum- 

 marised in Vol. II, are an example. 



The two volumes now published may be regarded as the final garnering 

 of the work of one of the greatest of scientific discoverers. The acknowledg- 

 ments of the intellectual world will doubtless be accorded to the Cambridge 

 University Press for their courage in facing the great expense involved 

 in a complete edition of the writings of Cavendish, in a form adequate to 

 the subject, which was projected in the less exacting times before the 

 Great War. The Editors desire to record their thanks to the staff of the 

 Press for very efficient cooperation on the technical side of the undertaking. 



J.L. 

 CAMBRIDGE, 



February 1921. 



