of Natural Philosophy. 1 27 



ner of handling it, parenthetical propositions, and baitings 

 or retrograde movements in the march of investigation, for 

 which the student who is unacquainted with the secrets 

 of book making, and honestly ascribes the whole to the os- 

 tensible author, will be utterly at a loss to account. 



In a treatise on Natural Philosophy designed exclusively 

 to introduce the student to the elements of the science, we 

 are not so unreasonable as to look for originality in the ftia- 

 terials. Accuracy and judicious selection in the principles, 

 reasonings, and experiments, unity of plan, and clearness of 

 arrangement, together with a good degree of neatness and pre- 

 cision in style, are all that can be expected, or even desired. 

 The introduction of original speculations would in general 

 rather impair than enhance the merits of a text-book for 

 learners. But the merits just enumerated we certainly have 

 a right to expect, from one who takes on himself the respon- 

 sibility of adding to the number of books without adding to 

 the amount of knowledge in the world ; while he contrib- 

 utes to withdraw from public notice, and accelerate the obliv- 

 ion of those older authors, who deserve the gratitude of pos- 

 terity for their original discoveries. We can make no bet- 

 ter apology for Dr. Enfield in allowing so ill-digested a com- 

 pilation to go before the public, than to suppose that he was 

 hindered from giving it the necessary attention by the en- 

 gagements of a laborious profession, or that he had not suf- 

 ficiently familiarized himself with the subjects on which the 

 wants of his pupils, (as he informs us in his preface,) impos- 

 ed on him the necessity of writing. Like his distinguished 

 colleague in the Warrington Academy, Dr. Priestley, he 

 .seems to have been not unambitious of the reputation of 

 universal learning. Elocution, history, biography, sermons, 

 metaphysics, prayers and hymns, alternately occupied his 

 attention and his pen. To complete his claims, it might 

 seem necessary that his name should be in some way con- 

 nected with the departments of physical and mathematical 

 science. How far considerations of this nature may have 

 bad influence in bringing the Institutes of Natural Philoso- 

 phy before the public, we must leave for those who have 

 better means of information concerning the character of the 

 author than ourselves, to decide. 



Whatever was the reason why this v/ork originally ap- 

 peared in s© imperfect a state, it wa^ at least incumbent oh 



