dom beyond number? "Great and manifold are thy "works, O Lord, in wisdom haft thou made them all." If a perfon has a ftrong genius for mathematical learning, it will be natural for him to improve himself in the higher parts of that noble science, as plain and fpherical trigonometry, conic fections and fluxions. But it does not appear to me abfolutely neceffary to the idea of a well-improved mind, that a perfon be master of those abftrufe parts of mathematics. On the contrary, I know not, whether the employing a great deal of time in thofe parts of fcience, which are rather fublime and curious, than useful in life, can be juftified; at least, where a perfon has a capacity for improving himself and others in useful knowledge. On the other hand, it must be owned, that the exercifing the genius in the most difficult parts of study, is not without its ufes, as it tends to whet the capacity, and sharpen the faculties of the mind, which may, for any thing we know, be of advantage to it, in fitting it for the sublime employments of future ftates. Add to this, that it is not always easy to fay what is altogether useless in fcience. What has been at its firft discovery looked upon as a mere curiofity, has often been found afterwards capable of being applied to the nobleft ufes in fcience, and in life. This has been experienced in no inftance more frequently than in the difcovery of mathematical proportions. Thofe of triangles were discovered before they were found to be of fuch important usefulness in menfuration and navigation; and thofe in common. geometry, in trigonometry, conics, and fluxions, before they were applied to aftronomical calculations. Nor can any one pronounce with certainty, that thofe which have not yet been applied to any direct use for improving science, or art, never will, or are capable of it. Upon the whole, the pursuit of any ftudy, however it may feem merely curious, rather than useful, is an employment incomparably more noble and fuitable to the dignity of human life, than thofe of pleasure, power, or riches. Though this is not faying, that ftudy is the fole business of life, or that it may not be carried lengths inconfiftent with our prefent ftate. For For improvement in the higher mathematics, Wolfius's and Wilfon's Trigonometry, Muller's or De la Hire's Conic fections, Ditton's, Simpfon's, or Maclaurin's Fluxions may be ftudied. At laft we come to the fummit and pinnacle of knowledge, the utmost reach of human capacity, I mean the Newtonian philofophy. This fublime of fcience is what very few, perhaps not fix in an age, have been found equal to. The labours of that prodigy of our fpecies the calculations and demonftrations upon which he has founded his immortal and impregnable ftructure, are not to be investigated, but by one poffeffed of the quickest penetration, the moft indefatigable diligence, leifure, and vacancy of mind. There are, for example, fome of his problems, which few men can hold out to go through; few minds being capable of keeping on the ftretch for fo long a time as is neceffary for the purpofe. It will therefore be in vain to advife readers in general to try their ftrength in this Achillean bow. It is however, poffible to acquire a general idea of his philofophy from Pemberton's and Maclaurin's views of it. They who would go farther, muft read his Principia with the Jefuit's Comment, and his Optics. I will here give a lift of books, which will make a pretty complete and ufeful collection upon the various branches of natural philofophy and mixt mathematics. Ray's Wisdom of God in the creation. Derham's Phyfico-theology. Nature difplayed. Nieuwentyt's Religious philofopher. Bacon's and Boyle's Works. Lieuwenboek's Arcana. Adams's Micrographia, and Baker's Employment for the Microscope. Ray's, Ruyfch's, and Gefner's Hiftory of Animals. Willughbuy's Ornithologia. Swammerdam of Infects. Keil's and Gravefande's Phyfics. Gravefande's, Defagulier's, and Rowning's Experimental Philofophy. Hill's Hiftory of Minerals and Fofils. Blackwell's Herbal. Martin's Philofophical Grammar, and Philofophia Britannica. The Tracts which give an account of the late difcoveries in electricity. Hales's Statics. Cotes's Hydroftatics and Pneumatics. Mifcellanea Curiofa. Philofophical Tranfactions abridged, and thofe of the foreign academies of fciences. Mufchenbroek's N 2 Mufchenbroek's Phyfical Effays. Keil's, Winflow's, and Heifier's Anatomy. Monro's Ofteology. Boerhaave's Oeconomia Animalis. Ray, Malphighi, Tournefort, and Sloan of Plants. Keil's and Gregory's Aftronomy. Pemberton's and Maclaurin's Account of Sir Ifaac Newton's Discoveries. Sir Ifaac's Principia, with the Jefuit's Comment. Dr. Halley's, Huygens's, and Flamstead's Works. Whiston's Religious Principles of Aftronomy. Smith's, Gregory's, and Sir Ifaac Newton's Optics. Boerbaave's Chemistry. To which add, Harris's Lexicon Technicum; Chambers's Dictionary; or the Encyclopedie now publishing. A gentleman of fortune and leifure will do well to furnish himself with a few of the principal inftruments ufed in experimental philofophy, as an air-pump, which alone will yield almost an endlefs variety of entertainment; to which add a condenfing engine; a microfcope, with the folar apparatus, which likewise is alone fufficient to fill up the leifure hours of a life; a telefcope of the Gregorian conftruction*; a set of prisms, and other glaffes for the experiments in light and colours; a fet of artificial magnets; an electrical machine; and a pair of Mr. Neale's patent globes. SECT. V. Of forming a Tafte in polite Learning and Arts. O fay, that a gentleman has attained the utmost perfection of the human genius, who is ignorant of the politer fciences of criticifm, poetry, oratory, and antiquities, and of the elegant arts of painting, mufic, fculpture, and architecture, would undoubtedly be improper. And yet it may juftly be affirmed, that a very moderate skill in them is fufficient; as that kind of knowledge is at best only the embellishment, not the fubftantial excellence of a character. Nor can it be denied, that many, efpecially men of fortune, do pursue the study of thofe elegances to lengths inconfiftent with the fhortnefs and and uncertainty of life, and *The best and largest inftruments of this kind, beyond comparison, that have ever been made, are thofe constructed by Mr. Short of Surry-fireets in the Strand, Londay. with the awful and ferious bufinefs to be done in it. Solid and useful knowledge, especially among the great, gives way almost entirely to tafte. And even of that, a very great part is only affectation and cant, rather than true difcernment. In mufic, for example, I think it must be owned, that there are few civilized nations, in which there is fo little true tafte, as in England; the proof of which is, the extremely small number of our country-men and women, who excel either in performance or compofition. In France and Italy, on the contrary, and feveral other countries of Europe, there are very few towns, or even villages, in which there are not fome able artifts in mufic. And yet we know, that there is not a country in the world, in which musicians, especially foreigners, are fo much encouraged, as here. This cannot be afcribed to our natural tafte for mufic; for that would appear in our excelling in the art. It must therefore be owing to an affectation of what we do not poffefs, which cofts us a great many thoufands ayear, and muft yield but very little entertainment. For the pleasure a perfon receives from mufic, or any of the other beaux arts, is proportionable to the tafte and difcernment he has in them. Perhaps, the fame might be faid of fome other elegances, as well as of mufic. But I fhall only in general add, that whoever pursues what is merely ornamental, to the neglect of the ufeful butinefs of life; and, instead of confidering fuch things only as ornaments and amufements, makes them his whole or chief employment, does not understand, nor act up to, the true dignity of his nature. On the ftudy of claffical learning and antiquities, I cannot help faying, that it is really a matter of no fmall concern, to fee men of learning ftraining beyond all bounds of fenfe in heaping encomiums on the great writers of antiquity, which there is reafon to think thofe great men would blush to read. To hear thofe gentlemen, one would imagine the ancients all giants in knowledge, and the moderns pigmies. Whereas it is much more probable, that the antiquity of the world was its youth, or immature age, and that the human fpecies, like an individual, have gradually improved by length of time; and, having the advantage of the inquiries and obfervations of the paft ages, have accordingly profited by them, and brought real and properly fcientific knowledge to heights, which we have no reason to imagine the ancients had any conception of. The whole advantage antiquity feems to have of the prefent times, as far as we know, and it would be ftrange if we should reafon upon what we do not know, is in works of fancy. The ftyle of the ancient orators and poets is perhaps fuperior to that of any of our productions, in grandeur, and in elegance. Nor is it any wonder it fhould be fo. In the popular governments of Greece and Rome, where almoft every point was to be gained by dint of eloquence, and where kings were clients to private pleaders, it was to be expected, that the art of oratory fhould be cultivated, and encouraged to the utmoft.. The very found of the Greek and Latin gives the writings in thofe languages a fweetness and majefty, which none of our feeble, unmufical tongues can reach. How should an English or French poet have any chance of equalling the productions of thofe who wrote in a language which expreffed the commoneft thoughts with more pomp of found, than our modern tongues will lend to the moft fublime conceptions? Ton d'apameibomenos profepke podas okys Achilleus. HOM. Here is more grandeur of found to exprefs almoft nothing, than Milton could find in the whole compass of our language to clothe the greatest thoughts that perhaps ever entered into an uninfpired imagination. For what is there in the Iliad, ftript of the majefty of the Greek, that can equal the following hymn to the Supreme Being, fung by the firft parents of mankind in innocence: "These are thy glorious works, Parent of good "Thus wondrous fair. Thyfelf how wondrous then! |