W^ilV. of the Earth 



ftill to be confidered, I have allotted 

 this Fourth Part to that Purpofe. 



To write of Metalls and Minerals , 

 intelligibly and with tolerable perfpi- 

 euity, is a Task much more difBcult 

 than to write of either Animals or Ve- 

 getables. For thefe carry along with 

 them fuch plain and evident Notes 

 and Charadlers either of Difagreement, 

 or Affinity with one another, that the 

 leveral Kinds of them, and the fubor- 

 dinate Species! of each, are eafilj known 

 and diftinguifh'd, even at firfl: fight ; 

 the Eye alone being fully capable of 

 jud^ng and determining their mutual 

 Relations, as well as their Differences, 



But in the Mineral Kingdom the 

 Matter is quite otherwife. Here is 

 nothing regular^ whatever Ibms may 

 have pretended : nothing confiant or 

 €crtam ; infomuch that a Man had 

 need to have all his Senfes about him: 

 to ufe repeated Tryals and Infpeclions, 

 and that with all imaginable Care and 

 .Warinels, truly and rightly to difccrn 

 and diftinguifh Things, and all little 

 enough too. Hei'e is fuch a vaft va- 

 riety of Pha^nomena^ and thofe, many 

 4Dif them , fo deluiive, that 'tis very 

 ' ^rd to efcape Impofition and Miftake. 



Colour^ 



