92 HISTORr of the SOCIETT. 



but of folid and permanent happinefs. Few fyftems, indeed, were 

 better calculated than his, to entertain their author with fuch 

 noble and magnificent profpects ; and no author was ever more 

 difpofed to confider the enjoyment of them, as the full and ade- 

 quate reward of his labours. 



The great range which he had taken in fcience, has fufficient- 

 ly appeared, from the account already given of his works *. 

 There were indeed hardly any fciences, except the mathe- 

 matical, to which he had not turned his attention, and his 

 neglect of thefe probably arofe from this, that, at the time 

 when his acquaintance with them fhould have commenced, his 

 love of knowledge had already fixed itfelf on other objects. The 

 aptitude of his mind for geometrical reafoning, was, however, 

 proved on many occafions. His theory of rain refts on mathe- 

 matical principles, and the conclusions deduced from them are 

 perfectly accurate, though by no means obvious. I may add, that 

 he had an uncommon facility in comprehending the nature of 

 mechanical contrivances ; and, for one who was not a practical 

 engineer, could form, beforehand, a very found judgment con- 

 cerning their effects. 



Notwithstanding a tafte for fuch various information, and 

 a mind of fuch conftant activity, he read but few fpeculative 

 books, directing his attention chiefly to fuch as furnifhed the ma- 

 terials of fpeculation. Of voyages, travels, and books relating to 



the 



* He had ftudied with great care feveral fubjects of which no mention is made 

 above. One of thefe was the Formation, or, as we may rather call it, the Natu- 

 ral Hiftory of Language. A portion of his metaphyfical work is dedicated 

 to the Theory of Language, vol. I. p. 574, &c. ; and vol. II. p. 624, &c. He read 

 feveral very ingenious papers on the Written Language, in the Royal Society 

 of Edinburgh, fee "Franfa&ions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vol. II. Hiji. 

 p. 5. &.c. The Chinefe language, as an extreme cafe in the invention of writing, 

 had greatly occupied his thoughts, and is the fubjeft of feveral of his manufcripts. 



