because they are are all full of Harmony and Contrivance. All the Bodies that furround us, the leaft as well as the largest acquaint us with fome Truth; they have all a Language, in which they address themselves to us, and indeed to us alone. We learn fomething from their particular Conftitution,

and their Determination to a certain End points out the Intention of the Creator. The Relations they bear to one another, as well as to us, are fo many diftinct Voices that call for our Attention; and which, by the Counfels they give us, replenish our Lives with Accommodations, enrich our Minds with Truth, and warm our Hearts with Gratitude. In a word, we may say, that Nature is the most learned and compleat of all Books, proper to cultivate our Reafon, fince fee comprehends at once the Objects of every Science, and never confines her Inftructions to any particular Language or People.

It is from this Book, lying open to every Eye, tho' very little confulted, that we propofe to give an Extract, with the View of making young Perfons fenfible what Treafures they poffels unenjoyed, and to prefent to their Obfervation those things, that Distance, Minuteness, or Inattention may have concealed from them. Inftead of paffing methodically, from general Maxims and univerfal Ideas, to thofe that are more particular, we thought it incumbent on us to imitate the Order of Nature kerfelf, and

begin with the first Objects we perceive around us, and which are every Moment at Hand; we mean Plants and Animals. We have begun with Animals of the fmallest Bulk. From Infects, and from diminutive Creatures cloathed with Shells, we proceed to Birds, terreftrial Animals, and Fishes. After an Examination of Part of the Services they yield us, we pass to thofe we receive from Plants, with an Attempt thro' the Whole, to mix Improvement with Variety. If we have not always confined ourfelves to a fcrupulous Regularity, it was because we think it allowable in conducting the Mind to truth, to expatiate out of the traiteft Way, when we find it too rugged; and to frike into the most agreeable and amufing Track, if it equally leads us to the Place we wou'd arrive at.

But as it is not fufficient to give the Mind a Propensity to be inquifitive, by entertaining it with agreeable Scenes, unless we likewife teach it to be moderate and cautious in its Curiofity; we have concluded this first Part with a short Confideration of the juft Prerogatives, and neceffary Limits of buman Reason, its great Intereft conffting in the Enjoyment of whatever is accommodated to it, without vianly purfuing what it is not privileged to approach.

We have comprehended all these different Points, not under the Title of, The Natural Philofophy of Children; which would have been very proper, had we only proposed to improve the most tender Ae; nor under that of, General Phyfics; which promiles too much: Our Defign not being to offer any Syftem in fa

vour of those who have made much greater Ad-
vances: But we have rang'd them under the

Title of, NATURE DISPLAY'D; which only

implies the Exterior, or what ftrikes the Senfe,

andexpreffes, with a fufficient Exactness, all of

this Clafs that is granted to Mankind in gene-

ral, is intelligible to every Age, and which no

one can avoid being acquainted with to a certain

Degree. We all enjoy Sight, and are conver-

fant with the external Part of Nature. This

View of it is for us, and, in confining ourselves

to it, we, in every Part, fufficiently discover

Beauty, Inftruction," and Truth.
We are

certain of the Existence of Objects; we fee their

Form, we experience their Goodness, we cal

culate their Number, we behold their Proper-

ties and Relations, their Tendencies and Ufe.

Here is an ample Variety of inftructive Exer-

cife for the Mind. Every new Information is an

'additional Pleasure. We fee our Riches incred-

fing with our Difcoveries, and the View of fo

many Benefactions must needs banish Ingrati-

tude and Indifference from our Hearts. But if

we defire to fathom' the very Depths of Nature,

to trace Effects up to their particular Caufes,

and comprehend the Curiofity and elaftic Play

of every fecret Spring, as well as the minuteft

Elements that compofe them, this is an arduous

Attempt, the Success of which is very uncertain,

and we leave it to thofe tranfcendant Genius's

who are permitted to behold and enter into thofe

Myfteries. For our Part we think it better

becomes us to content ourselves with the exte-

rior Decoration of the World, and the Effect

of

of thofe Machines which conftitute the Prof pect. Here we have Access, and may even jee, that it was arrayed with fo much Splendor, in order to excite our Curiofity. But then, fatisfyed with a Survey that abundantly fills our Senfes and Imagination, it is not necefJary we should require the fecret Pavilion of thefe Machines to be unfolded to our View. În a Word, 'tis our Province to fe'ect, out of the Scene of Nature, allthat can give us lively Im preffions, andexercife our Reafon to Advantage, without ever touching upon thofe Points which Jeem above the Reach of tha: Faculty, or even upon thofe that would eafily weary its Efforts.

As to the Model of the Work, we have endeavoured to exclude from it whatever might feem difagreeable; and inftead of methodical Dif courfes, or a Chain of Differtations, that frequently fatiate and difguft; we have chofen the Style of Dialogue, as most natural, and proper to engage all Sorts of Readers.

Our firft Thought, in the Choice of Interlocutors, was to have introduced feme celebrated. Characters. It gives one a fenfible Pleasure to Jee great Men revive in Dialogue, and by an agreeable Allufion we imagine ourselves Sharers in their Converfation, and are interested in what we believe we hear. But it is eafy to obferve, bow inconfiftent fuch a Choice would have been with the Defign we propose to pursue. Had we intended to establish Maxims for the Regulation of Behaviour, or to criticize the ImperfeEtions of Mankind, we might, with Success, bave borrowed, from Hiftory, a fet of Names well

known,

known, and proper to render the Difcourfe more important. Thefe Perfonages would be asentertaining in Dialogue, as they are in theatrical Representations, in proportion to the Conformity of their Characters and Sentiments to the Account we find of them in Hiftory. But the Cafe is not the fame, in Points of Investigation and Philofophy. 'Tis a very dangerous Attempt, to give Language to Des Cartes, Malbranche, or Newton, and to lend these great Men their Ideas and Views. 'Tis eafy to declare that we are preparing to introduce Gafcendi and Rohault; or, in other Words, that we are attempting to revive their Knowledge, Sentiments and Characters. But how can one be punctual to fuch a Promife? To think and Speak like them, we must be what they themJelves were. Befide, they are Perfons who are not eafily accommodated to the Level of all Sorts of Readers. Their Conferences must be fublime, and have the Air of perpetual Diflertations, in order to preferve their due Similitude. We should Likewife gain no extraordinary Point, if we brought together fome of our most celebrated Obfervers; and, I am afraid, that Aldrovandus and Goedaeret, Malphigi and Grew, Leeuwenhoek, and Swammerdam, would not be proper Perfons to prefent to the Reader. As valuable as thefe Authors may be, their Names alone would not conftitute the Success of Dialogue; whereas thofe Characters, which are Les confpicuous, will always make themselves. known and relished, if what they advance be profitable and correfpondent to Nature.

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