C 26 J 



tions and corredtions might have taken 

 place, which, had you afterwards thought 

 it right to appeal to the public, might 

 have fo changed the nature'of the appeal, 

 as to make an anfwer from me lefs necef- 

 fary, or at lead lefs controverfial. 



Had fuch a Letter been addrefled to me 

 by a mere theorift in improvement, I mould 

 have been much lefs folicitous (however 

 high his reputation) to anfwer his objec- 

 tions in detail; for were I ever fo com- 

 pletely to vanquifh fuch an antagonift, it 

 might ftill be faid, that the practical im- 

 prover only, and one whofe practice was 

 extenfive, could point out the molt eflential 

 defects in my book as far as it related to 

 improvements: for that whatever princi- 

 ples could not be applied practically, and 

 yet were intended to be fo applied, were 

 worfe than ufelefs; they were likely to 

 miflead. It is therefore no little fatisfac- 



tion 



