The Satisfaction of having this Treatise and Experiments approv’d by You, the Best of Judges, was to me the greatest Honour I could wish for; but the additional one, confer’d by your introducing me to the Royal Society, and there having not only their unanimous Approbation, but yours and their Thanks for my Discoveries and Intent of publishing them, was beyond my Hopes, and a Pleasure so great, as to be past expressing; in regard that it dissipates all my Fears for its Success, and makes me justly hope it will meet with a candid Reception from, and be of general Benefit to the Publick.
As to your Goodness, I must ascribe the happy Prospect of its proving so, Gratitude obliges me in this manner to acknowledge it; and to be,
Sir,
Your Much-Obliged,
And Most Obedient Servant,
John Southall.
THE
PREFACE.
Being diffident of my own Performance, and desirous it should stand or fall by the Opinion of the Best of Judges, was the Motive that induced me to make my Application to that very Learned, truly Judicious and commendably Curious Person to whom it’s dedicated: At the same time determining, that if he approv’d of it, I would publish it; and if he disapprov’d, that I would burn it. But it happily meeting his Approbation, it now makes its Appearance in Print: Tho’ I must in Justice to him acknowledge, it could not have so done so soon, nor with such Embellishments, had he not only forwarded the Impression, but directed and order’d the Copper-plate. As it has not only his Approbation, but also, by his introducing it, the unanimous Concurrent Approbation of (those great Encouragers of things useful) the Royal Society; I hope it will not fail of meeting a kind Reception from the Inhabitants in and about this Metropolis; by whom, as such a Treatise, &c. was most wanted, for their Benefit and Ease it was at first chiefly design’d.
Tho’ with such Helps as it now has, I am not without Hopes that it may extend its Qualities to distant infected Places.