Additions to the History and present state of electricity ... / [Joseph Priestley].

  • Priestley, Joseph, 1733-1804
Date:
1772
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Additions to the History and present state of electricity ... / [Joseph Priestley]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    iv THE PREFACE. I t is certainly much to be regretted, that philofophers have not one common language; but neither the theory of language in general, nor the nature and analogies of things to be expref- fed by it are yet fufBciently underflood, to enable us to contrive a new and philofophical one, that might be eafily learnt, and would be completely adequate to all the purpofes of fcience ; and Latin is a language which perfons of a philofophical turn of mind have feldom leifure to make themfelves fo much mas¬ ters of, as to enable them to write in it with that elegance which the tafle of the age requires. Befides, books written in Latin are but little read, at leafl in England, and there¬ fore could have no fale with us. Thefe circumflances make it the more neceffary, that there fhould be, in every country, perfons poffefTed of a competent knowlege of foreign lan¬ guages, who fhould be attentive to the progrefs of fcience a- broad, and communicate to their countrymen all ufeful difco- veries as they are made. Besides additions to the hiflory, and other parts of the work, the reader will find three intire new fe&ions of original experiments. LEEDS, January, 1769. ' A D D I- /