THE 
PREFACE. 
THE following Pafers are a few of fuch as havi 
come lafi Tear to the Royal Society, which the 
Performs Inter ejled in, have given leave jhoM he 
printed, I am fo fenfihle of my own Weak" 
nef , and have fo good an Opinion of the Abilities of 
the fcveral Perfons who have favoured the Society with 
thefe Communications y that I have not abridged or cha^^g d 
any thing in them^ but when it was fo(fhle, had them CorreBed 
by thofe who Communicated them. There is no doubt but 
the more discerning will make a great difference between 
what is related in them as Matter of Falf, Experiment, 
or Ohfervation, and what is Hypothefis. The firfi fort 
of Relations (of which all thefe Papers contain^ feme) are, and 
mufi aljrays he ujeful, and the latter may he pafsd over by 
fuch as dijlike them. For my own part fuch Hypothefts 
as are, or fhall he found in any Papers of mine, I have fo 
Utile regard for them, that confidering what has happened ti 
others better qualified than my felf I mufl conclude, that 
future Accidents, and Ohfervations, will make them g$ 
off, and be hereafter Succeeded by others more plaujihle. 
The mifchiefs thefe HypothefeSi and their Authors havt 
done, by putting People from further [earch, out of the way, 
and making them wrefi Matters of Fall to their Fancies, 
have been very great. There is a very memorable inflana 
[*Rtrz] cf 
