PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, NO. 72, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD.
1794.
THE PREFACE.
Situated, as I happily am, in the neighbourhood of the New College at Hackney, an institution that does honour to the Dissenters, an institution open to all persons without distinction[1], and connected as I am by friendship with the tutors, I was glad to give it every assistance in my power; and therefore undertook to read the Lectures on History and General Policy which I had composed when I was tutor at Warrington, and also to give another course on the subject of Experimental Philosophy. With this view I drew up the following Heads of Lectures; and, to save the students the trouble of transcribing them, they are now printed. To other persons they may serve as a compendious view of the most important discoveries relating to the subject.
As it was found most convenient, with respect to the other business of the college, to confine this course to one lecture in a week, I contrived to bring within that compass as much of the subject of experimental philosophy as I well could, and especially to include the whole of what is called chemistry, to which so much attention is now given, and which presents so many new fields of philosophical investigation.
Besides that the plan of the young gentlemen's studies would not admit of it, I think it most advisable not to trouble beginners with more than a large outline of any branch of science. By this means they are not fatigued by too long an attention to any one subject, a greater variety of articles may be brought before them, and in future life they may pursue any of them as much farther as their inclination may dispose, and their ability and opportunity shall enable, them to do it.
I do not give any account of the experiments introduced into the several lectures. They will be sufficiently indicated by the subjects of them. They were as many as I could conveniently make within the time; and where the experiments themselves could not be made, I usually exhibited both the different substances employed in them, and those that were the result of them.
As these lectures were calculated for the use of the students at the New College, I prefix an Address to them, the same in substance with that which I delivered to them at the close of the session of 1791. In it may be seen a specimen of the language we hold to them on the subject of politics, which with reasonable men will serve as an answer to the many calumnies that have been thrown out against us, as disaffected to the government of this country.