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or futil, I hope you will be humane enough to fup- 
prefs them, and give me your objections ; and by 
that means lay a ftill greater obligation on one, who 
has not the pleafure to be perfonaliy acquainted with 
you. From, 
S I R, 
Your very humble Servant, 
March 23. 1757. Erafmus Darwin, 
Phyfician at Litchfield , Staffordshire . 
LETTER I. 
To the very honourable and learned the President 
and Members of the Royal Society. 
Gentlemen, 
Read May 5. f ■ \ HERE is ever fuch a charm at- 
l 757- tendant upon novelty, that be it in 
philofophy, medicine, or religion, the gazing world 
are too often led to adore, what they ought only to 
admire : whilft this vehemence of enthufiafm has 
generally foon rendered that objeCt contemptible, that 
would otherwife have long laid claim to a more fober 
efteem. This was once the fate of chemiftry : the 
V.ain and pompous boafts of her adepts brought the 
whole art into difrefpeCt ; and I fhould be' forry, if 
her lifter electricity fhould fhare the fame misfor- 
tunes. It is hence the ingenious Mr. Eeles will ex- 
cufe me, for endeavouring to lay before you my opi- 
nion on the afcent of vapours, tho’ it by no means 
■coincides with that he is fo ftrenuous to eflablifih, 
•and plucks a plume from his idol goddefs electricity. 
Vol. 50. Ii The 
