The works of James Harris Volume 1

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1801 Excerpt: ...water into a ciflern, tJiat passively waits to receive all that comes. The growth of Knowledge he rather thinks to resemble the growth of Fruit; however external causes may in some degree co-operate, it is the internal vigour,-mid virtise of tlte tree, that must ripen the juices to tiieirju/l maturity. This then, namely, the exciting men to inquire for themselves into subjects worthy of tlmr-contemplation, this tlie Author declares to have been his first and principal motive for appearing in.print. 'Next to that, as he has always been a lover of Letters, he would willingly approve his studies to the liberal and ingenuous. Tie Jias pmticularly named these, in dislinclion to others; because, as hisfiudies were never prosecuted with the leasl regard to lucre, so-they are no way calculated for any lucrative End. Tlte liberal therefore and ingenuous (whom he has mentioned already) are those, to whose perusal he offers what he has written. Should they judge favourably of his attempt, he may not perhaps hejitatc to confess, Hoc juvat et melli est. Vol. I. E e For For tho he hopes he cannot be charged with the foolish love of. vain Praise, he has no desire to be thought indifferent, or insensible to honest Fame. From the influence of these sentiments, he has endeavoured to treat his subject with as much order, correctness, and perspicuity as in his power; and if he has failed, he can safely say (according to the vulgar phrase) that the failure has been his misfortune, and not his fault. He scorns those trite and contemptible methods of anticipating pardon for a bad performance, that "it was the hasly fruits of a few idle hours; "written merely for private amusement; never revised; published against "consent, at the importunity of friends, copies (God...