fashionable with a certain class of philosophers to keep the Creator totally out of view, when descanting on the noblest of his works.. But Mr. Ferguson had not imbibed those gloomy principles which steel the heart against its earliest and strongest impressions, and prompt us to suppress those feelings of devotion and gratitude, which the structure and harmony of the universe are so fitted to inspire. While benevolence and design are so clearly exhibited in the works, or in the phænomena, of nature, he dwells with delight up. on the goodness and wisdom of their Author; and never fails to impress upon the reader what is too apt to escape his notice, that the wonders of creation, and the various changes which the material world displays, are the result of that unerring wisdom and boundless goodness, which are unceasingly exerted to promote the comfort and happiness of man.

For these reasons, the present work has enjoyed an uncommon share of public patronage; and we hesitate not to affirm, without the fear of contradiction, that no book upon the same subject has been so generally read, and so widely circulated, among all ranks of the community. We perceive it in the workshop of every mechanic. We find it transfused into

the different Encyclopædias which this country has produced; and we may easily trace it in those popular systems of philosophy which have lately appeared.

During the time which has elapsed since the publication of these lectures, the boundaries of the arts and sciences have been greatly enlarged by many important discoveries and improvements. These discoveries and improvements it has been the object of the Editor to communicate in the Notes, or at greater length in the Appendix; and while he has endeavoured to introduce chiefly such subjects of practical importance, as have either been slightly noticed, or wholly omitted, by our author, or which have arisen in the general progress of improvement, he flatters himself that some of the articles of the Appendix are entirely new; that others contain information which is not generally known; and that all of thêm, however inadequately executed, may be of some service in a commercial country like ours, which depends so much on the improve. ment of its manufactures, and the general progress of the useful arts.

The Editor has been solicitous to avail himself as little as possible of the aid of mathematical reasoning: and he is not aware of having

introduced it much more frequently than the author himself. He must except, however, the article on the Construction and Effect of Machines, which can only be thoroughly understood by those who have studied the elements of algebra, and the first principles of the fluxionary calculus. For this interesting paper, the Editor is indebted to Mr. John Leslie, Professor of Mathematics in the University of Edinburgh, a philosopher of distinguished eminence, to whose discoveries science is deeply indebted, and whose friendship the Editor is proud to acknowledge.

In this Edition, the plates have been re-engraved; and twelve new ones added to illustrate the Appendix. The Tables of the Sun's Place and Declination have been calculated anew from the latest solar tables. An accurate Table of the Equation of time has been inserted for the use of the practical dialist, and other alterations and additions have been. made, which the reader will perceive in the course of the work.

Edinburgh, July 1, 1805.

D. B.

EVER since the days of the Lord-chancellor Bacon, natural philosophy hath been more and more cultivated in England. That great genius first set out with taking a general survey of all the natural sciences, dividing them into distinct branches, which he enumerated with great exactness. He enquired scrupulously into the degree of knowledge already attained to in each, and drew up a list of what still remained to be discovered. This was the scope of his first undertaking. Afterwards, he carried his views much farther, and showed the necessity of experimental philosophy, a thing never before thought of. As he was a professed enemy to mere systems, he considered philosophy in no other point of view than as that part of knowledge which contributes to make men better and happier: he seems to limit it to the knowledge of things useful, re