Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/33

 xx The 9 R E F A C E.

Vis or Effcacia. or Polenlia, &c. or 'tis B<«, or \$s, 6fir. If none of thefe will do, it remains to try, whe- ther he may not have it, without any Name to it ; and fay, 'tis " That whereby one thing, coming in " contact with another, moves, or makes, or breaks it," fcfr. — If by any of thefe means he learns what Force is, he does not form any new Idea : he only learns a new Name ; and finds that what he calls by one Name, others call by another ; or that what he had never taken the Pains to diflinguifh by any Name, fome others have. To get the Idea, he muft have recourfe to Senfation, not to Language ; it being a phyfical Em,

and only to be attain'd that way. , . -., , ,,.-,. „ . ,

BUT the fimple Idea called Force, being given; and coming to be afterwards modified or circumitantiated by new Accidents added thereto, and thus form'd into Terms, in this or that Art ; 'tis here in the Power of Language, alone, to excite 'em ; by refolving fuch compound Idea into its ingredient ones, which being re- compounded or put together again in the manner aflign'd by the Definition, gives the full adequate Import

thereof Thus the Idea of Force 'being varioufly modified, and combined with other Ideas of Centre, Attraction,

Repulfion Will, Machine, &c. in the Words, Central Force, Centripetal Force, Centrifugal Force, NeceJJily or Moral Force, Mechanick Power, &c. we can, by Definition, arrive at the Meaning thereof; by having thofe Circumftance's fpecified, or fuperadded to the Idea of Force. — In this cafe, there is no coming at the Idea by Senfation ; in regard 'tis a Creature of our own, and does not exift any where without us, to make an Object

of Senfe. '■ ' . .,

HENCE appears all the diverfity of Definitions ; Technical ones, comporting only to Terms, as to Central Force ; Scientifical or Pbilofophical, to Qualities, as Forciblenefs ; and Nominal or Succedaneous, belonging to fimple Ideas, as Force.

'TIS the various Affemblage of fimple Ideas denoted by common Words, that makes all the "Variety of Terms ; as 'tis of Simples in an Apothecary's Shop, that makes the Variety of his Medicines. — The Analogy goes farther ; and it may be faid that Terms, like Medicines, only differ from each other as their ingredient Ideas, and the Relations thereof do differ. — If thefe be not all rehearfed in the Definition, the Term or Me- dicine is not fpecified, or diltinguifhed from fome other, which may have all except that one or two omitted. Confequently, fuch one or two are the Characterifticks of that Term ; which may be explain'd in fome fort, by only enumerating thofe Characteriiticks, and couching all the reft under that other Term. This amounts to little more than the Subfiitntion abovemention'd ; and yet to this is reducible all that the Schoolmen teach of Genus, Species, and Difference.

BESIDE fimple Words, which we have obferved are, in their own Nature, inexplicable ; there are divers others that become accidentally fo : And fuch are all the Data, or preliminary Principles of any Art, with refpect to thofe who confine themfelves to the Bounds of that Art. Thus, if it be demanded of an Apothe- cary, to define one of his Simples, e. g. Mercury ; he muft needs be at a ftand, unlefs he be likewife verfed in Minerology ; by reafon it is putting him to explain a Datum, which his Art does not explain, but affume ; the Explication thereof lying in another Province. For the Data or Principles of any Art, are only explicable from another, e. g. thofe of Chymijlry, Pharmacy, &c. from Phyficks ; Pbjficks, from Pbyfiology and Mechanicks ; Mechanicks from Geometry, &c. So that to explain Mercury, would to him be, in fome meafure, to explain a fimple Idea. But afk him to define Calomel, and he is prepared for you ; and will readily enumerate the feveral Ingredients, and the manner of preparing it : which is the proper pharmaceutical Definition of Calomel.

HERE it may be obferved, that the Words ufed in the Definition of a Term, do many of 'em repre- fent complex Ideas ; and confequently ought themfelves to be defin'd, if we would have the Definition com- pleat. The Term has ufually divers fubaltern ones ; all which are refolvable into it, and make part and parcel of the Knowledge held forth by it. Thus, if Calomel be defined, " A medicinal Pouder precipitated from " a Solution of crude Mercury in Aqua fortis, by adding thereto a Lixivium of Sea Salt ; and then purified " by repeated Ablutions in a Filtre," &c. The Ideas, Pouder, Precipitated, Solution, Mercury, Aquafortis, A- Uution, Filtre, &c. remain to be explain'd, to furnifh the compleat Notion of Calomel. — But as this would be endlefs, and would defeat the Intention of a Definition ; the Practice obtains, to fuppofe all other Terms known, except that particular one under Definition. By this means, we avoid the Embarrafs of bringing down every Word to its Principles, or fimple Ideas ; and acquit our felves by bringing it to the next complex ones : Since the bringing an unknown Term to feveral known ones, is a kind of indirect Definition.

SUCH is the Nature of a Technical Definition, which holds good or valid for thofe of that Art, or Craft ; who are to be fuppofed furnifhed with the necefiary Data, or preliminary Notices. But to make a fcientifical Definition, we muft go ftill lower ; and bring down the Words, if not to their fimple Ideas, yet to general or common ones. For it is to be obferved, there are great numbers of complex Ideas current among moft People, which therefore may be confider'd as Data, and ufed as fimple ones, for more conveniency fike. All technical Apparatus, then, is to be here thrown by ; and inftead of giving five or fix hard Words for one, the general Effect, and Meanings thereof are to be made ufe of. Thus, Calomel may be defined " a " white Pouder, which falls down from Quickfilver diffolved in Spirit of Salt-petre, upon cafting Salt therein ; " and is afterwards waflied, again and again, by pafiing fair Water thro' it," £sff. Where, tho feveral of the Words be complex ; yet moft People, in the ordinary Courfe of Life, have framed the complex Ideas be- longing to 'em : fo that they may be confider'd as fimple ones. — Yet the Definition can fcarce be faid to be complete, even here : The general or philofophical Senfe of Words, we have obferved, is form'd from the grammatical one ; and confequently the Definition ought in ftrictnefs to extend thither : The Solution, to be adequate, fhould go as far as the Knot ; the Analyfis as the Synthefis.

T H Fj Reader already begins to feel this Preface grow tirefom ; and yet half the Bufinefs is ftill behind. When fo large a Work was to follow, he perhaps imagines he fhould have been excufed from a long Pre- face : and the like, probably, may the Author fay ; who, after fo tedious a Work, cou'd not be over-fond of any fupernumerary Fatigue. But, the Expediency of the Cafe, which fway'd and determin'd the one ; may fuffice to fatisfy the other. Several Matters were purpofely waved in the .Courfe of the Book, to be treated of in the Preface ; which appear'd the propereft Place for fuch Things as have a regard to the whole Work. What has been hitherto infifted on, as well as what remains, immediately affects every Article in the Book ; and tends, withal, to let a little needful Light into certain Points hitherto involved in great Obfcurity. I confider a Preface, as a kind of Vehicle, wherewithal to convey the Reader commodioufly from the Title into the Book. The Preface is a kind of Comment on the Title, the Book a Paraphrafe on it : Or, if you had rather, the Book is the Tide executed, the Preface the Title explain'd.

HAVING, therefore, difpatched the leading Words Art, Science, Term, and Definition; we proceed to confider the Nature of a DICTIONARY. It were to be wifhed that the many Adven- turers in Print, who publiih their Thoughts under this or that Form and Denomination, would frame them- felves a precife Notion of the Character and Laws thereof. There is fomething arbitrary, and artificial in all Writings : They are a kind of Draughts or Pidures, where the Afpeft, Attitude, and Light, which the Ob- jects are taken in, tho merely arbitrary, yet fway and direct the whole Reprefentation. Books are, as it were,

Plans