xviii PREFACE. 
thefe with a view to the promotion of na- 
tural hiftory. When we confider him in 
this light of a matter of fuch difciples as 
thefe, and many others, fome of whofe 
works make up the following book, he 
inuft appear like Homer at the head of the 
poets, Socrates at the head of Greek mo- 
ralifts, and our Newton at the head of the 
mathematical philofophers. Among all 
thefe extraordinary qualifications there ap- 
pear throughout his writings fpirit, candor, 
a due regard for others, and proper mo- 
detty and diffidence of himfelf. 
I will give a fhort fpecimen of his way 
of thinking in relation to the degree of hu- 
man knowledge hitherto attained by man 
on the fubjedt of natural hiftory. A fub- 
jedt on which it was very natural for a lefs 
extenfive genius to be vain, as he has had 
fo great a ffiare himfelf in the advancement 
of it. The paflage is taken out of the in- 
troduction to the new edition of his Syftem 
of nature, and is to this effedh ‘ How 
* final! a part of the great works of nature 
' s k laid open to our eyes, arid how many 
c things 
