Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

с

SKETCHES

OF THE

HISTORY OF MAN.

CONSIDERABLY ENLARGED

BY THE LAST ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS

OF THE AUTHOR.

IN FOUR VOLUMES.

VOLUME I.

EDINBURGH:

PRINTED FOR A.STRAHAN AND T.CADELL, LONDON;
AND FOR WILLIAM CREECH, EDINBURGH.

M,DCC,LXXXVIII.

173

PREFACE.

HE following Work is the fubftance

THE

of various fpeculations, which occafionally occupied the author, and enlivened his leisure hours. It is not intended for the learned; they are above it: nor for the vulgar; they are below it. It is intended for those who, free from the corruption of opulence and depreffion of bodily labour, are fond of useful knowledge; who, even in the delirium of youth, feel the dawn of patriotism, and who, in riper years, enjoy its meridian warmth. To fuch men this Work is dedicated ; and that they may profit by it, is the author's ardent wifh; and probably will be while he retains life fufficient to form a wish.

May

May not he hope, that this Work, child of his gray hairs, will furvive, and bear testimony for him to good men, that even a laborious calling, which left him not many leisure hours, never banished from his mind, that he would little deferve to be of the human fpecies, were he indifferent about his fellow-creatures :

Homo fum: humani nihil a me alienum puto,

Most of the subjects handled in the following fheets, admit but of probable reafoning; and, with refpect to fuch reafonings, it is often difficult to say, what degree of conviction they ought to produce. It is easy to form plaufible arguments; but to form fuch as can ftand the teft of time, is not always eafy. I could amufe the reader with numerous examples of conjectural arguments, which, fair at a diftant view, vanish like a cloud on a near approach. Several examples, not to go farther, are mentioned in the preliminary

difcourfe.

« ZurückWeiter »