That this general Defire may not be fruftrated, our Schools feem yet to want fome Book, which may excite Curiofity by its Variety, encourage Diligence by its Facility, and reward Application by its Usefulness. In examining the Treatifes hitherto offered to the Youth of this Nation, there appeared none that did not fail in one or other of thefe effential Qualities; none that were not either unpleafing, or abftrufe, or crowded with Learning very rarely applicable to the Purpofes of common Life.

Every Man, who has been engaged in Teaching, knows with how much Difficulty youthful Minds are confined to clofe Application, and how readily they deviate to any thing, rather than attend to that which is impofed as a Task. That this Difpofition, when it becomes inconfiftent with the Forms of Education, is to be checked, will readily be granted; but fince, though it may be in fome Degree obviated, it cannot wholly be fuppreffed, it is furely rational to turn it to Advantage, by taking care that the Mind shall never want Objects on which its Faculties may be ufefully employed. It is not impoffible, that this reflefs Defire of Novelty, which gives fo much Trouble to the Teacher, may be often the Struggle of the Understanding starting from that, to which it is not by Nature adapted, and travelling in Search of fomething on which it may fix with greater Satisfaction. For without fuppofing each Man,

particularly

particularly marked out by his Genius for particular Performances, it may be easily conceived, that when a numerous Clafs of Boys is confined indifcriminately to the fame Forms of Compofition, the Repetition of the fame Words, or the Explication of the fame Sentiments, the Employment muft, either by Nature or Accident, be lefs fuitable to fome than others; that the Ideas to be contemplated, may be too difficult for the Apprehenfion of one, and too obvious for that of another: they may be fuch as fome Underftandings cannot reach, though others look down upon them as below their Regard. Every Mind in its Progrefs through the different Stages of fcholaftic Learning, must be often in one of thefe Conditions, muft either flag with the Labour, or grow wanton with the Facility of the Work affigned; and in either State it naturally turns afide from the Track before it. Weariness

looks out for Relief, and Leifure for Employment, and furely it is rational to indulge the Wanderings of both. For the Faculties which are too lightly burthen'd with the Business of the Day, may with great Propriety add to it fome other Enquiry; and, he that finds himself overwearied by a Tafk, which perhaps, with all his Efforts, he is not able to perform, is undoubtedly to be juftified in addicting himself rather to eafier Studies, and endeavouring to quit that which is above his Attainment, for that which Nature has not made him incapable of pursuing with Advantage.

That

That therefore this roving Curiofity may not be unfatisfied, it feems neceffary to scatter in its Way fuch Allurements as may withhold it from an ufelefs and unbounded Diffipation; fuch as may regulate it without Violence, and direct it without Reftraint; fuch as may fuit every Inclination, and fit every Capacity; may employ the ftronger Genius, by Operations of Reafon, and engage the lefs active or forcible Mind, by fupplying it with eafy Knowledge, and obviating that Defpondence, which quickly prevails, when nothing appears but a Succeffion of Difficulties, and one Labour only ceafes that another may be impofed,

A Book intended thus to correfpond with all Difpofitions, and afford Entertainment for Minds of different Powers, is neceffarily to contain Treatifes on different Subjects. As it is defigned for Schools, though for the higher Claffes, it is confined wholly to fuch Parts of Knowledge as young Minds may comprehend; and as it is drawn up for Readers yet unexperienced in Life, and unable to diftinguish the useful from the oftentatious or unneceffary Parts of Science, it is requifite that a very nice Diftinction should be made, that nothing unprofitable fhould be admitted for the fake of Pleasure, nor any Arts of Attraction neglected, that might fix the Attention upon more important Studies,

Thefe Confiderations produced the Book which is here offered to the Public, as better adapted

to

our

to the great Defign of pleafing by Inftruction, than any which has hitherto been admitted into Seminaries of Literature. There are not indeed wanting in the World Compendiums of Science, but many were written at a Time when Philofophy was imperfect, at that of G. Valla; many contain only naked Schemes, or Synoptical Tables, as that of Stierius; and others are too large and voluminous, as that of Alfedius; and, what is not to be confidered as the leaft Objection, they are generally in a Language, which, to Boys, is more difficult than the Subject; and it is too hard a Talk to be condemned to learn a new Science in an unknown Tongue. As in Life, fo in Study, it is dangerous to do more things than one at a time; and the Mind is not to be harraffed with unneceffary Obftructions, in a Way, of which the natural and unavoidable Afperity is fuch as too frequently produces Defpair.

If the Language however had been the only Objection to any of the Volumes already extant, the Schools might have been fupplied at a small Expence by a Tranflation; but none could be found that was not fo defective, redundant, or erroneous, as to be of more Danger than Ufe. It was neceffary then to examine, whether upon every fingle Science, there was not fome Treatife written for the Ufe of Scholars, which might be adapted to this Defign, so that a Collection might be made from different Authors, without the Neceffity of writing new Syftems.

This Search was not wholly without Success; for two Authors were found, whofe Performances might be admitted with little Alteration. But fo widely does this Plan differ from all others, fo much has the State of many kinds of Learning been changed, or fo unfortunately have they hitherto been cultivated, that none of the other Subjects were explained in fuch a Manner as was now required; and therefore neither Care. nor Expence has been fpared to obtain new Lights, and procure to this Book the Merit of an Original.

With what Judgment the Design has been formed, and with what Skill it has been executed, the Learned World is now to determine. But before Sentence fhall pafs, it is proper to explain more fully what has been intended, that Cenfure may not be incurred by the Omiffion of that which the original Plan did not comprehend; to declare more particularly who they are to whofe Inftruction thefe Treatifes pretend, that a Charge of Arrogance and Prefumption may be obviated; to lay down the Reasons which directed the Choice of the feveral Subjects; and to explain more minutely the Manner in which each par ticular Part of thefe Volumes is to be used.

The Title has already declared, that thefe Volumes are particularly intended for the Ufe. of Schools, and therefore it has been the Care of the Authors to explain the feveral Sciences, of which they have treated, in the most fa