when the fubjects of the creation are reprefented to us in a manner which aflifts our memory, and renders our conceptions of them eafier, we aim at earnestly adopting the noble improvement, and, in order to be the more efteemed, we likewife always confer praife on the author.

As long as the author adheres to his fyftem, and does not alter it, but only illuftrates it from time to time with fome additional obfervations, we are not only well fatisfied with him, but also often become his faithful affiftants. But if he, convinced of the impropriety of his method from its very principles, rejects it, and prefents us with another, new and entirely different; what will then be the refult? Or what is likely to happen if this is attempted by a perfon who is unknown, and not artful enough to feize on the advantages of our paffions?

For my part, I am apt to believe, that in the former cafe, the prefent general tafte might be fomewhat leffened without any lofs to the fcience itfelf; becaufe among the great number that love Natural History, there are always fome who embrace it when free from errors; and others who are only fond of new reafonings and conclufions, merely because they are fo.

• Thefe latter are even of fervice, and their party will certainly increase in length of time.

From this perfuafion I have ventured to publish this Effay for treating Mineralogy in a fyftematical manner; a study to which I have with fo much pleafure applied myself. It is not done from the defire of novelty; and ftill lefs from contempt of those fyftems, which Swedish gentlemen in particular, very defervedly, though chiefly on the fame principles, have heretofore generally purfued.

I have thought proper to conceal my name, to prevent any constraint on myself or others, and with a view to be at a greater liberty to amend the fyftem, whenever I fhall be convinced there is a neceffity for fo doing, either by my own experience, or by the obfervations of others: for I flatter myself that this work will not pass unnoticed by men of letters; and, as it is only an effay, it ought, according to an established law amongst authors, to be fheltered from too fevere cenfures.

I wish that the mineralifts themselves would examine and compare all that has been hitherto done in this science; they would then find the reason which has induced me to deviate from the received fyftems, and to propofe another founded upon my own, as well as upon the discoveries of others. But as this comparison is not in the power of every one to make, I think it neceffary briefly to repeat here the changes which this fcience has undergone.

• The

The first writers on Natural Hiftory found fo great a number of unknown bodies before them, that their curiofity and time would not allow them to do more than to defcribe them by their mere external appearances, and to collect the names by which they were known to the natives of the countries where they were found. But as every country had a different name for these bodies, they often gained more names than there were real fpecies, and even fometimes the very reverse happened; this occafioned a confufion, which in the beginning was excufable, but in length of time could not fail of being an obftacle to the progrefs of the fcience, and its application in common life.

• To remove and alter thefe inconveniencies, they have in later and more enlightened times endeavoured to fix proper names to the fubjects of the mineral kingdom, according ta their external marks, as in regard to figure, colour, and hard. nefs; but these characters afterwards having been found not fufficient, it was neceffary to difcover others more folid by the refult of chemical experiments, which added to the former ones would make a complete fyftem. Hiarne and Bromell were, as far as I know, the first who founded any mineral fyftem upon chemical principles. However, they were only the projectors of this manner of proceeding; and to them we owe the three known divifions of the moft fimple mineral bodies; viz. the Calcarei, Vitrefcentes, et Apyri. This fyftem was afterwards adopted by Dr. Linnæus, who, as a very fkilful perfon in the other two kingdoms of nature, ought not to have omitted the third when he publifhed his Syftema Naturæ. Browal, bishop of Abo, a prelate of great learning, had an op portunity of altering and improving Linnæus's method in a manufcript, which Dr. Wallerius has fince made public in his Mineralogy, with fome alterations of his own; however, the principal foundation remained the fame in all, or according to Bromell's method, which he had published in a small book, entitled Indications for the fearching for Minerals: until Mr. Pott, a chemift by profeffion, and confequently inclined rather to believe the effects of his experiments, than the external ap. pearances alone, proceeded farther than was customary before his time, in the affaying of ftones by fire, and afterwards publifhed his acquired knowledge by the title of Lithogeognefia. From this book the faid author received confiderable honour, because the true advantage of his researches began to appear: miners and other manufacturers were by it able to determine the reason of certain effects, which they before either did not obferve, or wilfully concealed, to avoid the cenfure of being ignorant, if they advanced fuch things as real truths, which,

according to modern fyftems, were regarded as contradictory and abfurd. Mr. Wolterfdoff, a difciple of Mr. Pott, then begun immediately to form an entire mineral fyftem, founded upon chemical experiments; but his master did not approve of it, ftill infifting that materials were yet wanting for the purpofe; and that every mineral body ought first to be examined and tried with the fame care that he had tried and examined the moft fimple of them; to wit, the earths and stones.

Such was, according to the idea I had of it, the state of Mineralogy, when I, touched by the difficulties which beginners laboured under, undertook to put my scattered thoughts in this order. Naturalifts agreed with me, in thinking the barrier, which had a long while been defended with fuch ar. dour, was now beaten down, and that it was neceffary another fhould be erected in its ftead, as good as could be procured, until a perfect one might be in time difcovered.

Such an enterprize it was thought would promote this defirable end, when on one fide I reflected upon the paffion which our learned have for difputing, and on the other part confidered the gracious reception which the Arts and Sciences have met with at this time, from thofe to whom the heavy burthen of governing human focieties is allotted. It is from their care we are to expect the compleat tribunal where all difputes in this manner can be accurately decided, and all things be rendered truely useful; I mean the infiitution of a laboratory; where the fight, grinding and polishing; where the air, liquid, and dry diffolvents, and alfo fire in all its degrees, from the electrical to that of the burning-glafs, may be employed as means to obtain the knowledge of these intricate and unknown bodies.

The

To a fimilar circumftance, perhaps, thofe chemical experiments upon vegetables were owing, which were made many years ago in a certain kingdom; and though they did not answer at that time the intended purpose, yet they may at fome future time be repeated with advantage, when more knowledge in that matter is obtained: but thus much we certainly know by experience, that the mineral kingdom is extremely well adapted to be examined by these means. experiments made by the ingenious Mr. Homberg, with Tfchirnhaufen's burning-glafs, may certainly be carried yet farther, whereby fome doubts may likewife be removed, which fill remain, regarding fome of the effects of his experiments. Thus, we fhould be employed in obferving the phenomena and drawing conclufions from them, inftead of only fearching for the principles of thofe effects, as naturalifts were formerly ob liged to do.

• How

How fatisfied would every lover of systems be, if by this means he could get materials properly prepared to compofe a better work, in which he could introduce the few valuable things which are to be found among the old ruins, and leave out all the vague expreffions, together with the diftin&tions, that areof no confequence.

When I had, for the above-mentioned purpose, collected my own obfervations, and thofe of others, I heard of two new books on the fame fubject; they were Mr. D'Argenville's Oryctology, and Mr. Jufti's Mineralogy; for which reason I laid my manufcript afide, until I had, by the perusal of those two works, convinced myfelf that thofe gentlemen had not prevented me from purfuing my plan; for, the former has, in my opinion, endeavoured to bring us back to a taste that was formerly in vogue; and which, though we do not defpife, yet ave neglect. The fecond feems to have hurried himself too much, mixing together some irresistible truths, with a greater number of opinions, not yet demonstrated, or mere conjectures; which is running on fafter with a theory than experiments will permit; whereby nature, which is the chief point, will at the end be loft.

Therefore, that no fondnefs for novelties, in confequence of these new works, or others of the like nature, which may hereafter be published, may again divert our attention from the only method of obtaining any knowledge of the Mineral Kingdom, which has with fo much pains at length been discovered, and has already been a little entered upon; I have, prompted either by felf-love, or a more generous motive, published this Effay, even before I have had time and leifure to reduce it into a.perfect fyftem: I do not pretend that it is a compleat one, by which we can with certainty divide mineral fubftances, and afterwards reduce them into order. I have chiefly intended it as a bar, or oppofition to thofe who imagine it to be an eafy matter to invent a method in this fcience, and who, entirely taken up with the furface of things, think that the Mineral Kingdom may with the fame facility be reduced into classes, genera, and fpecies, as animals and vegetables are; they do not confider that in the two laft kingdoms of nature there are but feldam, and never more than two different kinds found mixed in one body; whereas in the mineral kingdom it is very common, though it will nevertheless always remain concealed from every one, however penetrating, who has not employed bimfelf in the compounding or decompounding fuch bodies, as far as the prefent knowledge of thefe matters will permit.'

IX. The

IX. The Placid Man: or the History of Sir Charles Bevil. 2 Vol. 12mo. Pr. 6. Wilkie.

THE hiftory begins with a fhort account of Sir Charles's father and uncle: the former, a worthy country gentleman; the latter returned from being a governor in the EastIndies, and fomething of a character. An account of young Beville's birth and education, and a sketch of Mr. Norris, his tutor, which is well drawn, keeps up the reader's attention till the former comes of age; the gout, then, attacking Sir George, his father fends them all to Bath. Mr. Bevil there refcues a man from the mob, who had stolen a piece of bread and butter, for the immediate relief of his wife and child, who were in extreme want. The poor man relates his history is recognized by Mr. Norris as an old acquaintance, and is generously relieved by Beville. Beville, while he is difcharging the duties of humanity, forgets an appointment with a Mifs Clayton, at the ball. Mifs Clayton rallies him for having made her wait. The apology which he makes for his delay affects her so much, that having a great deal of fenfibility, as well as beauty, the falls defperately in love with him. This lady, whose father is an old courtier, and whofe mother-inJaw was a rich citizen's daughter, are much divided in their opinions with regard to the difpofal of her. Sir Harry is for having a diminutive lord for his fon, merely on account of his quality; my lady prefers Sir Ifaac Rupee, a rich EastIndian: but both of them being very ridiculous characters, Mifs Clayton does not chufe to encourage either of them; efpecially as Mr. Beville having, from his good fenfe and benevolent difpofition, made himself mafter of her heart: however, as the fees the other gentlemen better received by her parents, fhe does not publickly discover her prepoffeffion in his favour; but the makes a Mrs. Stapleton privy to it. Mrs. Stapleton is a widow, her particular friend, a fenfible, agreeable woman, and the foon alfo appears to be the friend of Mr. Beville. Mr. Beville becoming about this time, by the death of his father, Sir Charles, finds Mrs. Stapleton extremely well inclined to make a vifit to Sir Harry Clayton, at Beechwood-Park, on his account, Mifs Clayton gets rid of her two lovers, and Sir Harry grows impatient to receive overtures from Sir Charles. While Mrs. Stapleton is taking this step to ferve her friend Mifs Clayton, and Sir Charles, the latter by speaking highly of her to Mr. Norris, and of Mr. Norris to her, excites in each of them an inclination for the other. An interview paves the way for a marriage between

them;