ii The 9 R E F A C E.
and amplified to take in fo large a Structure, can have but a very general, indiftinguifhing Perception of any
of the Parts. Whereas the parts are not lefs Matter of Knowledge when taken feparately, than when put
together. Nay, and in ftrictnefs, as our Ideas are all Singulars or Individuals, and as every Thing that exifts is one ; it feems more natural to confider Knowledge in its proper Parts, i. e, as divided into feparate Articles denoted by different Terms ; than to confider the whole Affemblage of it in its utmolt Competition : whichris a thing merely artificial and imaginary.
AND yet the latter Way muft be allow'd to have many and real Advantages over the former ; which in truth is only of ufe and fignificance as it partakes thereof: For this Reafon, that all Writing is in its own Nature artificial ; and that the Imagination is really the Faculty it immediately applies to. Hence it mould follow, that the molt advantageous way, is to make ufe of both Methods : To confider every Point both as a Part ; to help the
Imagination to the Whole : and as a Whole, to help it to every Part. Which is the View in the prefent Work —
fo far as the many and great Difficulties we had to labour under would allow us to purfue it.
IN this View we have endeavoured to give the Subilance of what has been hitherto found in the fever a 1 Branches of Knowledge both natural and artificial ; that is, of Nature, firjf, as me appears to our Senfes *, either fpontaneoufly, as in Natural Hiftory ; or with the Affiftance of Art, as in Anatomy, Chymiftry, Medicine, I griculture, &e. Secondly, to our Imagination ; as in Grammar, Rhetorick, Poetry, fcfV. Thirdly, to our Rea- fon -, as in Phyficks, Metaphyficks, Logicks, and Mathematicks. With the feveral fubordinate Arts arifing from each ; as Architecture, Painting, Sculpture, Trade, Manufactures, Policy, Law, &c. and numerous remote Particulars, not immediately reducible to any of thefe Heads ; as Heraldry, Philology, Antiquities, Cuftoms, £sV.
THE Plan of the Work, then, I hope, will be allow'd to be good ; whatever Exceptions may be taken to the Execution of it. It wou'd look extravagant to fay, That half the Men of Letters of an Age might be em- ploy'd in it to advantage ; and yet it will appear, that a Work accomplifh'd as it ought to be, on the Footing of this, would anfwer all the Purpofes of a Library, except Parade and Incumbrance ; and contribute more to the propagating of ufeful Knowledge thro* the Body of a People, than any, I had almoft faid all, the Books extant. — After this, let the Reader judge how far I may deferve Cenfiire for engaging in it, even difadvantageoufly ; and whether to have fail'd in fo noble a Defign, may not be fome degree of Praife.
BUT, it will be here necefiary to carry on the Divifion of Knowledge a little further ; and make a precife Partition of the Body thereof, in the more formal Way of Analyfis : The rather, as an Analyfis, by fhewing the Origin and Derivation of the feveral Parts, and the Relation in which they ftand to their common Stock and to each other -, will affift in reftoring 'em to their proper Places, and connecting 'em together.
_ -,, , f. A . , _ . r -nu C METEOROIOGY *,
Senjtble ; confuting in the Perception or Pnaeno-\ t. a,
mena, or External Objects- - called Physiology, ) . . „ „ *,
' -, ' , ,. ■ ,. '< MlNEROLOGY J .
or Natural History j and which according to )p HYTOLOGY 4 the different Kinds of fuch Obje&s, divides '"'o/, fllOG j
- f Natural and Scientifical,j
which is either*
Or,
Rational; confiftlng in the Perception
of the intrinfick Characters or Ha-«( . bitudes of fenfible Objects— either
Quantities thereof, called Ma- ( thematics— — which di- vides, according to the Sub- * jeft of the Quantity, into.
Or,
Artificial and Technical, (confiding in the Application of Na- . tural Notices to' , further Purpofes) which is either
"Their Powers and Properties — called Physicks, and Natural PHILOSOPHY fi . Abflracts thereof — called Metaphysics 7 5 Ontology.
which fubdivides into £Pneumatology.
Arithmetic 8 —whence < AnaLy tics 9 . C Algebra ,0 . ^Trigonometry^ Geometry " — whence ^Conics. Statics » CSpherics.
Relations thereof to our Happi-T Ethics 13 , or Natural £ Politics 1 *. nefs— - called Religion,) Religion — whence £ Law 15 . or the Doftrine of Offices, j „ which fubdivides into' (^Theology ,fi , or Revelation.
Internal i employ'din dtfcoverlng their Agreement and Difagreement; or their Relations in refpeft of Truth — call'd Logics' 7 . "Further Powers and Properties of Bo- £ Alchemy.
dies — called Chymistry l8 — whence <> Natural Magic, &tc.
r OpTics l 9 f Catoptrics,.$Perspective 19 .
Dioptrics whence £ Painting ".
Phonics whence Musick **.
Hydrostatics aj , Hydraulics. Pneumatics *+.
(^Architecture afi , -whence <Sculpture ' 7 .
CTrades aB ,and Manufactures. The Military Art 3 °. Fortification 3i . Chronology ij . ._ Dialling 3 *. Geography iS , Hydro- C Navigation j6 .
graphy whence £ Commerce ".
Structure and Oeconomy of Organical Bodies called Anatomy 38 ,
Or,
External, Which is, either—
"Real, employ'd in difcovering and^ applying the—
Quantities oFBodies— — call'd Mix'd Mathe- matics ; which accor-< ding to the different Subjects refolves into
Or;
Symbolical, ^.ploy'd in framing'
Mechanics zs -
Pyrotechnia * 9 — whence - Astronomy** whence -
Animals ■ called ■
Medicine 3 ?. Pharmacy 40 . Agriculture 4I . Gardening **.
Relations thereof to the | x , ,. „ ,
o r ■ , T J Vegetables — ca led
Preservation and Im- "% s
provement — either of I r c . ,
Brutes called 5 J**™« \
^ c Manage — whence
C Word:
< Figures *-i
C Fables <
or Articulate Signs of Ideas- called Rhetoric * 5 — whence called Poetry 47 .
called Grammar 4+ .
S The making of Armories, called C Heraldry 4S .
THIS is a View of Knowledge, as it were, in femine ; exhibiting only the grand, conftituent Parts thereof. It would be endlefs to purfue it into all its Members and Ramifications ; which is the proper Bufinefs of the Book it felf. It might here, therefore, feem fufficient to refer from the feveral Heads thus deduced, to the fame in theCourfe of the Work ; where their Divifion is carried on. And yet this would fometimes prove inconvenient for the Reader ; who to find fome particular Matter muft go a long Circuit, and be bandied from one part of the Book to another : To fay nothing of the Interruptions which may frequently happen in the Series of Refe- rences. To obviate this we mall take a middle Courfe, and carry on the Diftribution further, in a Note in the Mar-
