may imbue their Minds with the Treasures of Knowledge and Wisdom, fuch as will tend to make them wije to Salvation.

Secondly, Nothing (that I know of) has been compleatly and purpofely handled in our own Language, on the Subject of Natural Philofophy, fo as to comprehend all its great Parts and Branches: Therefore I bave undertaken it for their Sakes, who cannot read Books on this noble Subject in the learned Languages.

Thirdly, It is true, indeed, there are divers Pieces tranflated from the Latin, French, Dutch, &c. Tongues into our own; but then, as they seem most or all of them originally defigned for the Learned, fo only Scholars are capable of understanding them as tranflated, by Reafon of the many bewildering mathematical Demonftrations, and learned Difquifitions, which abound in most of them; and for which the young Student, and the fair Sex, are (generally) little the wifer: Wherefore I judged it proper, for both their Sakes, that Something fhould be done of this Kind, fo plain, natural, and easy, as to be understood with Pleasure; and yet, fo general and copious, that nothing useful might be wanting.

Fourthly, The most famous Pieces of this Kind are, fome of them, too expensive for the Purse of the Publick in general; as the Tranfa&tions of the Royal Society, Sir Ifaac's Principia, Dr. Pemberton's View thereof, &c. Some, or most of them, are filled with mathematical and fymbolical Demonftration, Schemes, Characters, that it surprises and repells the plain unlearned (or rather ungeometrical) Reader jrom any perusal of them; who yet is capable of

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understanding a good Part of Philofophy, when treated in a plain, evident and familiar Way.

Fifthly, Many excellent Pieces on this Subject are very defective, and others as redundant, while others want Method, and are incoherent. Is it not strange, that Rohault's Phyficks fhould fay nothing of Vegetation, Trees, Plants, &c. the most important and obvious Part of Philofophy? Where is the Order and Method of Mr. John Clerck's Phyficks? And how Strong the Genius, which can fupply by its Imagination, in almost every Part, the want of Cuts and proper Schemes? Sir Ifaac's Principia are all inveloped, not only from the common Ken, but from the general Tribe of Mathematicians themselves. Dr. Keil's Introduction teaches little more, than the Philofophy of Motion and Velocities. Mr. Derham's Phyfico-Theology gives you, in the Notes, a delightful View of Nature broke all to Pieces. If you are an unhappy Atheift, Mr. Niewentyt's Religious Philofopher will either convince you at once, or stun you with a thousand Tautologies. Dr. Cheyne's Philofophical Principles, in one Part, bave fome noble Reflections on this Subject; and in the other, be bas obliged you with a new discovered Source of Religion, in abftrufe Reasonings, and algebraick Theorems and Corollaries. The Spectacle de la Nature is but a partial Tract, and not intended for a Syftem of Phyfiology. I shall take no Notice of any Compendiums and Epitomes, that are smaller than this I here prefent the Reader withal, well knowing the Limits I have confined the Subject to, are strait and fcanty enough.

I shall now fay Somewhat relating to the Order or Method, and Defign of this Undertaking. A 4)

And,

First,

First, I have here compofed a general View of the modern State of Phyfiology, or natural Philofophy, and treated of it in a moft natural and grammatical Order: I begin with the general and Special Properties and Qualities of Matter, and its various Modifications in natural Bodies: Then I confider the great Parts of the Universe, the Sun, Planets, Comets, and Stars, which conftitute the wondrous Frame: Next 1 defcend to the Contemplation of the Atmosphere proper to our Earth, and whatever is therein contained: Laftly, I bring the Reader from the Regions above, to view the Wonders of Nature all around him in his Habitation here below, on this ter raqueous Globe; and I cannot think of any Order and Method more confentaneous to the Nature of Things than this.

Secondly, Whatever the Reader finds delivered as pofitive Doctrine and Affertions, he must know is all collected from the greateft Authorities of the past and prefent Age, as Lord Bacon, Mr. Boyle, Sir Ifaac Newton, Dr. Halley, Rohault, Mr. Samuel Clarke, John Clerck, Niewentyt, Cheyne, Whifton, Mr. Derham, Dr. Keil, Gregory, Grew, Freind, Defcartes, Gravefande, Boerhave, Goedart, Lemery, Bartholine, and feveral others; who have all contributed more or less to the Piece in Hand.

Thirdly, All the great Points and Dogmata of the Science, bere laid down and afferted, are fuch as bave been proved by Experiments and otherwife, by and in the Works of the learned Authors above-mentioned. I have here purposely discarded almost every Thing that depends on mere Hypothefis or Conjecture.

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and have avoided all the tedious and fruitless Difputations, and uncertain and endless Enquiries about them; which would have fwoln the Book, and wafted the Reader's Time and Money to no Purpose.

Fourthly, I have made many Things much more clear and eafy to be understood, by exemplifying the feveral Cafes in Numbers, and thereby convey more obvious Ideas, than could be obtained by mere verbal Defcriptions: Alfo I have contrived new, and more eafy, plain and natural Schemes than are elsewhere to be found, for illustrating feveral important Matters, as Plate, Fig. XXX. for explaining the Seasons of the Year, &c. In short, I have omitted no Schemes that would make the Matter plainer, and be easily understood,

Having thus given an Account why. I have compiled the enfuing Tract, and of the Method and Defign thereof; I fhall now fhew the Usefulness of fuch Kind of Contemplations and Studies as thofe of natural Philofophy and that is two-fold, the first regards the Body, and the other the Mind of Man.

First, Natural Philofophy conduces to the Health and well Being of the Body of Man; for which bear the admirable Author of the 411th Spectator, where be fays, "We may bere add, That the Plea"fures of the Fancy are more conducive to Health "than those of the Understanding, which are worked "out by Dint of Thinking, and attended with too "great and violent Labour of the Brain. Delight

ful Scenes, whether in Nature, Painting, or Poe"try, bave a kindly Influence on the Body, as well "as the Mind; and not only ferve to clear and brighten the Imagination, but are able to difperfe

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Grief

"Grief and Melancholy, and to fet the animal Spirits in pleafing and agreeable Motions: For this Reafon Sir Francis Bacon, in his Effay on "Health, diffwades bis Reader from knotty and fubtle Difquifitions, and advifes him to pursue "Studies, that fill his Mind with fplendid and illuftrious Objects, as Hiftories, Fables, and the Contemplations of Nature". Again, In Spectator 393. "In the Opening of the Spring, when all Nature begins to recover "ber felf, the fame animal Pleasure, which makes "the Birds fing, and the whole brute Creation re

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joice, rifes very fenfibly in the Heart of Man. "I know none of the Poets who have observed fo "well as Milton, thofe fecret Over-flowings of "Gladness, which diffuje themselves through the Mind of the Beholder, on furveying the gay Scenes of Nature; be defcribes it very beautifully under "the Name of vernal Delight:

"Bloffoms and Fruits at once of golden Hue

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Appear'd, with gay enamel'd Colours mix'd; "On which the Sun more glad imprefs'd his

[Beams "Than in fair evening Cloud, or humid Bow, "When God hath fhower'd the Earth. So lovely [ feem'd "That Landskip: And of pure, now purer Air "Meets his Approach, and to the Heart infpires "Vernal Delight, and Joy able to drive "All Sadness but Defpair".

Again, Natural Philofophy fills the Mind with noble and exalted Notions, and regales it with the moft agreeable Senfations: Thus the Spectator proceeds, The Creation is a perpetual Feaft to the

"Mind