PREFACE.

ii

It remains, therefore, for the student to examine, compare tog-ether, and arrange in order, themany distinct and individual particulars of which our knowledge is composed, and which, on theseterms, are transferred to him as his own property. This labour is recpiisite, that he may becomeacquainted with facts, their relations and dependencies, and the manner in which he shouldemploy them to advantage; and also that he may he prepared to increase the general stock bypresenting to the world the discoveries resulting from his own researches and observations.The learner, however, will soon perceive that the subjects of investigation, which constitute themultifarious objects of the Arts and Sciences, are so numerous and diversified, that it becomesimpossible even for the most retentive memory to recollect the various particulars of which theyconsist. Hence the necessity of Encyclopaedias , works which are designed to embrace the sub-stance of all our knowledge, arranged in alphabetical order, for the use of those who are alreadylearned, as well as for those who wish to acquire general information. It is on this account thatworks of thisnature have deservedly obtained general approbation, and have always been received bythe Public with avidity, in whatever size, form, or mode of arrangement, they may have appeared.

This fact being allowed, the Reader may ask, “ Since w r e have such a multiplicity of Ency-clopaedias , what need is there, by the introduction of another, to augment the number?” Tothis w'e may be permitted to reply, that on account of the rapid progress of knowledge, and therecent improvements in almost every department of the whole circle of the Sciences and Arts,and the consequent change of scientific terms, with the continual accession of new' ones ; it becomesabsolutely necessary that the world should be furnished with modern Dictionaries, to keep pace,in some measure, with the present advancement in knowledge. If this circumstance be attendedto, it will readily be allowed, that the older works of this kind are by no means capable ofserving, in our days, the purposes and views of those who w ish to possess a general acquaintancewith the various subjects which now occupy the attention of scholars; and this will hold true,however well these works may have been adapted to the times in which they were written, orhowever perfect, according to the state of Science at that period.

If we be required to speak of the works of our contemporaries, we must candidly acknow-ledge, and indeed are happy in the opportunity afforded us of acknowledging, that many of themare truly excellent, and speak sufficiently their own praise; but some of these are so diffuse as torender them by far too voluminous, and consequently too expensive, for the majority of readers,and, indeed, too cumbersome for general use; and though they are stored with abundance ofinformation, yet they likewise contain a large portion of redundant and unimportant matter*the removing of which would undoubtedly render such works much more valuable.

There are other Collections of this kind that have run into the opposite extreme: they are sosmall as to be extremely deficient in the number of terms explained, so that, though containingmany well written articles which would do credit to any work, they frequently disappoint ourexpectation in the very subject of our inquiry, and this is a complaint which has been repeatedlyheard from persons of unquestionable judgment and candour. From these and similar considera-tions, the present Editors were satisfied that a New Dictionary of the Sciences and Arts suffici-ently large to allow of an explication of all the terms of art, with a sufficient elucidation of themore important ones, and regular systematic treatises on the several Sciences and Arts underthe appropriate titles by which they are designated, would be a work of considerable utility andimportance. They have attempted, therefore, to furnish the Ilritish Public with such a work; inwhich, while they have endeavoured to avoid prolixity, and to retrench as much as possible what-ever appeared useless or unimportant, they have been equally studious to render it as completeas the bounds to which they wished to confine it, would allow. Hence they have been parti-cularly careful to introduce and explain all the terms of art, and to insert, under their properarticles, the modern improvements in Science. In the compilation they have selected, whereverit could be found, such matter as is most generally useful, and which appeared most natural andcorrect; and where the subject seemed capable of being’ rendered more perspicuous and com-plete, they have, for that purpose, added many new and original remarks and elucidations, hitreating the Scii ncos systematically, it was found requisite, in many instances, to introduce mtu-lr” original