320 Microscopical Ess a Vs. 



ing an infect, from day to day, thinking that he fpends his time 

 and his life in unimportant and barren fpeculations ; yet were the 

 whole fcene of nature laid open to our views, were we admitted 

 to behold the connections and dependencies of every thing on 

 every other, and to trace the ceconomy of nature through the 

 fmaller as well as greater parts of this globe, we might, perhaps, 

 be obliged to own we were miftaken ; that the fupreme architect 

 had contrived his works in fuch a manner, that we cannot pro- 

 perly be faid to be unconcerned in any one of them ; and there- 

 fore, that Studies., which feem upon a flight view to be quite 

 ufelefs, may in the end appear to be of no fmall importance to 

 mankind. Nay, were we only to look back into the hiftory of 

 arts and fciences, we mull be convinced that we are apt to judge 

 over haftily of things of this nature. We mould there find many 

 proofs that he who ve this inftin&ive curiofity to ibme of his 

 creatures, gave it for good and great purpofes, and that he re- 

 wards with ufeful difcoveries all thefe minute refearcfies. 



* It is true this does not always happen to the fearcher, or his 

 contemporaries, nor even fometimes to the immediate fucceeding 

 generation ; but I am apt to think, that advantages of one kind 

 or other always accrue to mankind from fuch purfuits ; fome men 

 are born to obferve and record what perhaps by itfelf is perfectly 

 ufelefs, but yet of great importance to another who follows and 

 goes a ftep farther, ftill as ufelefs ; to him another fucceeds, and 

 thus by degrees, till at laft one of a fuperior genius comes, who 

 laying all that has been done before this time together, brings on 

 a new face of things, improves, adorns, exalts human fociety. 



" All 



