ADVERTISEMENT. 
T H E Committee appointed by the Royal Society to 
direct the publication of the Philofophical Tranfadions , 
take this opportunity to acquaint the Public, that it fully 
appears, as well from the council-books and journals of 
the Society as from repeated declarations, which have 
been made in feveral former Tranfadions , that the print- 
ing of them was always, from time to time, the fingle aft 
of the refpeftive Secretaries, till the Forty-feventh Volume. 
And this information was thought the more neceffary, 
not only as it had been the common opinion, that they 
were publifhed by the authority, and under the direftion, 
of the Society itfelf ; but alfo, becaufe feveral authors, 
both at home and abroad, have in their writings called 
them the Tranfadions of the Royal Society . Whereas in 
truth the Society, as a body, never did interell themfelves 
any further in their publication, than by occafionally 
recommending the revival of them to fome of their Secre- " 
taries, when, front the particular circumflances of their 
affairs, the Tranfadions had happened for any length of 
time to be intermitted. And this feems principally to 
have been done with a view to fatisfy the Public, that 
their ufual meetings were then continued for the improve- 
ment of knowledge, and benefit of mankind, the great 
ends of their firft inflitution by the Royal Charters, and 
which they have ever fince fteadily purfued. 
Rut the Society being of late years greatly inlarged, 
and their communications more numerous, it was thought 
advifeable, that a Committee of their members fhould be 
appointed to reconfider the papers read before them, and 
feleft out of them fuch, as they fhould judge mofl proper 
for publication in the future Tranfadions ; which was ac- 
cordingly done upon the 26th of March 1752. And the 
grounds of their choice are, and will continue to be, the 
importance and Angularity of the fubjefts, or the advan- 
tageous manner of treating them ; without pretending to 
anfwer for the certainty of the fafts, or propriety of the 
a 2 reafonings, 
