incorrect, are now extant; and as feveral extracts from them have got, he knows not how, into print, with more imperfections, it may be, than could reasonably be imputed to the author. He begs leave to add, as another reason for making these papers public, that he has been advised to it by many persons, whofe judgement and love of good learning intitle them at all times to his most respectful attention. It will no doubt be observed, that fome of the following topics, though brevity has been aimed at in all, are treated more compendiously than others. This could, he thinks, be accounted for; but not without much egotism, and a detail of particulars neither neceffary nor interesting. No body, he prefumes, will be offended, if in these papers there be found, as there certainly will, numberless thoughts and arguments which may be found elfewhere. It will be confidered, that, as a profeffor's province is generally affigned him by public authority, his business is rather to collect and arrange his materials, than to invent or make them. In his il luftrations, luftrations, in order to render what he teaches as perfpicuous and entertaining as poffible, he may give ample fcope to his inventive powers: but, in preparing a fummary of his principles, he will be more folicitous to make a collection of useful truths, however old, than to amufe his readers with paradox, and theories of his own contrivance.-And let it be confidered further, that, as all the practical, and most of the fpeculative, parts of Moral Science, have been frequently and fully explained by the ableft writers, he would, if he fhould affect novelty in these matters, neither do justice to his fubject, nor eafily clear himself from the charge of oftentation. Of fuch of the author's Lectures as have already, under the name of Essays, been published in the fame form in which they were at first compofed, particularly those on Language, Memory, and Imagination, he has made this abridgement as brief as was confiftent with any degree of perfpicuity. Some may think, that he ought to have left out those parts; and he once thought thought fo himself. But it occurred to him, that many perfons, into whose hands this book would perhaps come, may have never feen those printed lectures, and poffibly never would fee them ;-that he could not with a good grace recommend it to any body to purchase the volumes in which they are to be found ;—and that, if those parts fhould be wholly omitted, his System, as exhibited in this epitome, would have a mutilated appearance, and be still more imperfect than it is. The remaining part of this work, containing ELEMENTS OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY (ftrictly fo called), which comprehends ETHICS, ECONOMICS, and POLITICS; and of LOGIC (including RHETORIC); will be put to the prefs, as foon as the author fhall have found leifure to revife and transcribe it. Con Contents of the Firft Volume. INTRODUCTION, PART FIRST. ix |