INTRODUCTION. 
as every thing did not present itself to me at once, like an old sub- 
ject, but rather as a new. I therefore hope some allowance will be 
made by the discerning, more especially in the philosophical jjart ; 
as the intention is, to generalize the subject : and the author does 
not jjretend to be either a great philosopher or artist ; for, if he had 
been the first, he probably would have wanted enough of the latter 
to answer the peculiarities of the present intention, and vice versa. 
