preferred to us in a manner which aflifts our- 

 memor u and renders our conceptions of therru 

 eaiier, we aim at earneftly adopting the noble 

 improvement, and, in order to be the more 

 efteemed, w T e like wife always confer praife on 

 the author. 



As long as the author adheres to his fyftem, 

 and does not alter it, but only illuftrates it from 

 time to time with fome additional observations, 

 we are not only well fatisfied with him, but 

 alfo often become his faithful afuftants. But if 

 he, convinced of the impropriety of his method 

 from its very principles, rejects it, and prefents 

 us with another new and entirely different ;. 

 what will then be the refull ? Or what is likely 

 to happen if this is attempted by a perfon who 

 is unknown, and not artful enough to feize on 

 the advantages of our paffions ? 



For my part, I am apt to believe, that in 

 the former cafe, the prefent general tafte might 

 be fomewhat leffened without any lofs to the 

 fcience itfelf ; becaufe among the great number 

 that love Natural Hiftory, there are always 

 fome who embrace it when free from errors,, 

 and others, who are only fond of new reafon- 

 ings and conclufions, merely becaufe they arefo. 



Thele latter are even of iervice, and their 

 party will certainly increafe in length of time. 



From this' perfuafion I have ventured to 

 publifh this Eflay xor treating Mineralogy in a 

 fyftematical manner 5 a ftudy to .which I have 

 with fo much pleafure applied myfelf. It is 

 not done from the deiire of novelty -, and ftill 



lefs 



