il 
ip YE FOO BE. 
was about this Time that Natural Hiftory, as well as every Byanch 
of see cdeacel Philofophy, became the Study of great a in a 
Countries, in England efpecially, and fome time afterwards i Tae 
under the Protection of that great Patron of Bie es ve 
whofe Princely Favours fought for, and encouraged, Men of Learning, 
not in France only, but in the moft diftant Countries. 
But of late Years its greateft Promoters have been the Royal Beste) 
< in England, and the Academy of Sciences in France : By their es 
<¢ chiefly, has the World received more ufeful Difcoveries ayd Improve 
« ments in one Century, than ig had done for many Ages kefore. 
“If they go on with the fame unwearied Diligence and Succefs for spe 
“ Century more, what Depths of Nature will not be explored 2? What 
“ Treafures of Knowlege will not be difplayed Dee 
But tho’ many Branches of this excellent Study have, of late Years, 
been {o laudably cultivated, to the Glory of God, and the Good of 
Mankind ; yet we have Caufe to lament, that our Purfuits of this Nature 
are ftill deficient. 
The feveral ingenious and learned Difcoveries of Malpighi, Grew, 
‘Ray, Derham, and Hales (among many others that might be added), 
tho’ excellent in their Kind, are yet but fo many well-proportioned Limbs 
of an unfinifhed Piece. s 
Other Sciences and Arts owe their Perfection, not only to theCapacity 
of the great Men who ftudied them, but likewife to the confined Nature 
of the Subjects treated of. 
., But as to Natural Hiftory, fo many are the Species of Animals, Plants, 
and Foffils,, which are yearly difcovered, that we may juftly fay with 
Pliny, Multum adbuc refiat operis, multumg; reftabit ; nec ulli nato poft 
mille fecula praecluditur occafo aliquid adjiciendi. And tho’ the Study of 
fo extenfive a Subject be attended with fome Difficulty, yet will it prove 
no le& pleafing than ufeful. 
In other Hiftorics we meet with, at leaft, a great Mixture of Pain 
_with our Pleafure. If in Biography we are firft charmed with the 
great Talents and amiable Character of C¢/ar, whilft in the true Intereft 
-of his Country ; fhall we not be grieved to find, that his Ambition, at 
laft,. proved fatal to many Thoufands of his Fellow-Citizens and Coun- 
trymen ? If we are pleafed with the Life and AGtions of Epaminondas ; 
. as. the fatal Cataftrophe of his laft unhappy Period draws on, can an 
_ Degree of Chearfulnefs check the rifing Sigh, or ftop the falling Tear ? 
- When from Biography we. purfue Mankind through the general Hi- 
2 ftory of Nations, we fhall be fhocked with monftrous Examples of 
Wickednefs, far overbalancin 
g the few fuccefsful Inftances of difinterefted 
Virtue. Tage 
In 
