viii PREFACE 
ral reflections that will arife on this occa- 
lion mu ft be to the difadvantage of fuch 
purfuits. Yet were the whole fcene of na- 
ture laid open to our views, were we ad- 
mitted to behold the connections and de- 
pendencies of every thing on every other, 
and to trace the ceconomy of nature thro' 
the fmaller as well as greater parts of this 
globe, we might perhaps be obliged to own 
we were miftaken j that the Supreme Ar^ 
chitedl had contrived his works in fuch a 
manner, that we cannot properly be faid to 
be unconcerned in any one of them 5 and 
therefore that ftudies which feem upon a 
flight view to be quite ufelefs, may in the 
end appear to be of no fmall importance to 
mankind. Nay, were we only to look 
back into the hiftory of arts and fciences, 
we mu ft be convinced, that we are apt to 
judge over haftily of things of this nature. 
We flhould there find many proofs, that he 
who gave this inftinctive curiofity to fome 
of his creatures, gave it for good and great 
purpofes, and that he rewards with ufefull 
difcovcries all thefe minute refearcheSo 
It 
