vi Poe en Ce,

mind, he engaged in the ftudy of it, with an ardour na- tural to the impetuofity of youth. By confulting fuch noe authors on this fubject as fell in his way, he foon found

himfelf deeply involved in intricate phyfical. difcuffions

about the pabulum of plants,—the influence of falts, oils,

acids, and many other like fubftances, of which’ he could form but a very vague and indeterminate idea, fo:| as not to be able with certainty to perceive the full force of fuch arguments as were adduced by thefe au-/

thors, in fupport of their favourite hypothefes. And

being unwilling to be inftruéted by halves, or to take

the word of any author as a demon/ftration of the propofi~

tion he ailumed, he applied himfelf with diligence, to ac-

quire a knowledge of thofe{ciences that feemed necefi: fary( to be attained, before he could petufe thefe authors with,

Pe pront.|

Fs

But, inftead of reaping the benefit from thence that:{ he had at firft expected, he had the mortification to 4 find, that‘thefe Writers were in general. equally igno- rant of the real qualities of the fubftances whofe names

7

they employed, as he himfelf had been; and that each! having formed in his own mind, a vague idea of fonte Fi i

imaginary.