tors of mythological mysteries. I have been more attentive to this sort of learning with a view to the younger scholars, whose interest I have had much at heart for several years.. For their sakes I have taken occasion to introduce the subjects of philosophy, as they were conceived, and are referred to by writers, of antiquity among the Greeks and Romans; to prove and explain how their mythology, was a symbolical representation of the ways of Nature: by right understanding of which, their views in classical literature will be ex-. tended, and their reading made more profitable and agreeable.

The SYSTEMATICAL form of philosophy, is that which begins with laying down laws and principles to account for the phenomena of Nature, and treats Natural Philosophy. as a science reducible throughout to certain rules. Of this sort was that which prevailed, for so many ages in the schools, and wast derived from Aristotle, and his commentators. It knew some things truly, and had a form of knowledge for all the rest; but it was nothing more than a form, so long as it explained things by certain terms which, themselves wanted an explanation, and expressed nothing when considered as powers

of

of Nature. As some physicians have attempted to extend the efficacy of one particular medicine to the cure of all distempers; so have philosophers been tempted to assume some partial affection of Nature, and suppose it universal; while, in order to make it such, they must pervert things in a strange manner, and be guilty of many absurdities. A man may be a giant in his talents; but if he is contending for a system, he will occasionally argue like a child. Such was the error of Gilbert, an English philosopher, of Colchester, who flourished above two hundred years ago. He had studied magnetism with great attention, and was so filled up with it, that he could see nothing in the whole universe but magnetism. He made the globe of the earth a load-stone, solid to the centre; and supposed that a magnetical power in the sun was sufficient to account for the motions of the planets. And then after all, he accounted for the effect of the load-stone from an immaterial act of its form; to countenance which, he was diligent in searching for other like examples of incorporeal attraction. His doctrine was afterwards taken up by Kepler, who ascribed to the body of the sun an attractive power on

one

If

one side, and a repulsive power on the other, a friendly and an unfriendly side, by both of which in their turns he was supposed to act upon the planets. The cause of magnetism being invisible, it was pronounced to be incorporeal; and all other instances of attraction were accounted for from a vigour impressed on the parts of matter, by which it could act without contact. If such a vigour really were in matter, what would become of the vis inertia? for matter cannot be both inert and vigorous at the same time. spiritual vigour in solid bodies is substituted for mechanical impulse, it were vain to inquire after impelling fluids. This doctrine. of impressed vigour in solids, unphilosophical and incredible as it is, was much in vogue in the beginning of the last century, on the credit of Gilbert; and I find it maintained by one of the first scholars in the world, who calls it "a magnetical vigour impressed by the Maker upon the whole frame;" delivering it er cathedra, as a principle too well established to admit of any dispute*. Kepler derived the revolution of the planets from the rotatory motion of the sun; but

* See the Works of Mr. J. Gregory. Edit. iv. p. 56.

but held that it took place very slowly from the natural inertia of the matter in the planets *. Descartes improved upon this: he added to the rotation of the sun a vertical motion in the fluid matter of the heavens ; and maintained that this matter preserves the motion once impressed upon it, because all matter in itself is indifferent to rest or motion. The Newtonian system, which succeeded the Cartesian, and has taken place of it in all parts of Europe, adopted Descartes's law, and added to it the powers of attraction and repulsion as first principles; but with a reserve for the agency of a subtile medium in all departments of nature; the existence of which Newton himself allowed, but made no use of it in his Philosophy, for want of a sufficient number of experi

ments.

EXPERIMENTAL Philosophy deduces the properties of bodies from actual trials; reasoning first by analysis, and thence by composition. It has an advantage in being more nearly allied to Natural History than the systematic forms: for, as that is the best Moral Philosophy which is built on the real History of Man, so that must always be the best

Kepl. Epil. Astron. lib. iv. p. 520.

best Natural Philosophy which is built upon the History of Nature. It is in Philosophy as in other things: experience is the greatest of all masters; and if it does not teach us something in Philosophy, this can only happen because we had been falsely taught before. The alchemist began his labours with this persuasion, that nature intended all metals for gold; and wanted nothing but the assistance of art to carry on the operation to its due effect, in all those instances where nature itself had miscarried: therefore, his experiments never gave him any light: he paid dearer for wit than most men, and never found it at last.

Lord Bacon was the first who attempted to rescue the learned from the bondage of system, and recall them from abstract reasonings to experiments. He threw out his Na-tural History in the form of a loose indigested collection of facts, to excite the public curiosity; as knowing that a farther inquiry, upon the same ground of actual observation, would naturally tend to take men off from their beloved notions and theories, to examine the real constitution of the world. the late discoveries in Electricity, which have opened an entire new field in Philosophy,

All