: just fuffices to give them a kind of Alcandrumque, Haliumque, No- Now if an Author, not content with the more eminent of antient Writers, bould venture to bring his reader into fuch company as thefe laft, among people (in the fashionable phrafe) that no body knows; what ufage, what quarter can he have reafon to expect ?—Should the Author of thefe fpeculations have done this (and 'tis to be feared he has) what method had be beft take in a circumftance fo critical?-Let us Suppofe him to apologize in the best manner be can, and in confequence of this, to fuggeft as follows He hopes there will be found a pleasure in the contemplation of antient fentiments, as the view of antient Architecture, tho' in ruins, has Something venerable. Add to this, what from its antiquity is but little known, has from that very circumftance the recommendation of novelty; fo that here, as in other inftances, Extremes may be faid to meet. Farther fill, as the Authors, whom he has quoted, lived in various ages, and in diftant countries; fome in the full maturity of Grecian and Roman Literature; fome in its declenfion; and others in periods ftill more barbarous, and depraved; it may afford perhaps no unpleafing fpeculation, to fee how the SAME REASON has at all times prevailed; how there is ONE TRUTH, like one Sun, that has enlightened buman Intelligence through every age, and faved it from the darkness both of Sophiftry and Er ror. Nothing Nothing can more tend to enlarge the Mind, than thefe extenfive views of Men, and human Knowlege; nothing can more effectually take us off from the foolish admiration of what is immediately before our eyes, and help us to a jufter eftimate both of prefent Men, and prefent Litera ture. 'Tis perhaps too much the cafe with the multitude in every nation, that as they know little beyond themselves, and their own affairs, fo out of this nar◄ row Sphere of knowlege, they think nothing worth knowing. As we BRITONS by our fituation live divided from the whole world, this perhaps will be found to be more remarkably our cafe. And hence the reafon, that our ftudies are ufually fatisfied in the works of our own Countrymen; that in PhiloSophy, in Poetry, in every kind of Subject, whether ferious or ludicrous, whether facred or profane, we think perfection with ourselves, and that 'tis fuperfluous to fearch farther. The Author of this Treatife would by no means detract from the juft honours due to thofe of his Countrymen, who either in the prefent, or preceding age, have fo illuftriously adorned it. But tho' he can with pleafure and fincerity join in celebrating their deferts, he would not have the admiration of thefe, or of any other few, to pass thro' blind excefs into a contempt of all others. Were fuch Admiration to become univerfal, an odd event would follow; a few learned men, without any fault of their own, would contribute in a manner to the extinction of Letters. A like evil to that of admiring only the authors of our own age, is that of admiring only the authors of one particular Science. There is indeed in this laft prejudice fomething ресвя peculiarly unfortunate, and that is, the more excellent the Science, the more likely it will be found to produce this effect. There are few Sciences more intrinfically valuable, than MATHEMATICS. 'Tis hard indeed to fay, to which they have more contributed, whether to the Utilities of Life, or to the fublimeft parts of Science. They are the nobleft Praxis of LOGIC, or UNIVERSAL REASONING. 'Tis thro' them we may perceive, how the ftated Forms of Syllogifm are exemplified in one Subject, namely the Predicament of Quantity. By marking the force of thefe Forms, as they are applied here, we may be enabled to apply them of ourselves elsewhere. Nay farther fill-by viewing the MIND, during its procefs in these fyllogiftic employments, we may come to know in part, what kind of Being it is; fince MIND, like other Powers, can be |