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Received September 24, 1766- 
V. An Attempt to account for the formation 1 
of Spars and Cry ft als. By Edward King, 
Efq uire , of Lincoln’s Inn, F. R. S. 
♦ 
Read Jan. 29, y N a R 0 ur enauiries concerning the- 
1767 ’’ works of the Supreme Being, and 
in our endeavours to inveftigate the fecondary caufes 
by which the various phenomena o-f nature are ef- 
fected, we certainly cannot be too cautious and cir- 
cumfpeCt. Our comprehenlion of things is at beft 
very imperfeCt j and we may eafily be led, by too 
hafty a view, to draw falfe' coricluflbns. It there- 
fore becomes us to be very mod-eft, and to endeavour 
to go upon fure grounds, before we indulge-any hy- 
pothecs whatever. But if we obferve this rule, we 
cannot carry our fearches or conjectures too far, flnee 
the refult of them will often be the difeovery of 
what may be ufeful to mankind, and will almoft al- 
ways increafe our knowledge in fome degree, and be 
a means of railing in our minds more noble and ex- 
alted ideas of the Almighty Creator of all things. 
This confideration encourages me to fling together 
the following conjectures, with regard to the pro- 
duction of thofe beautiful and tranfparent fubftances, 
which go by the name of fpars, cryftals, and jewels ; 
but I would not venture to confider them as amount- 
ing to any thing more than queries. 
I was 
