10-73-75 PREFA C E¦ THE talk of writing prefaces is none of the most grateful; especially when a variety of circumstances concur, to impofe it as a duty upon one, who is in a manner, partly the author, and partly the tranflator of a new work, on a new fubject. It has now become the frequent practice of certain tranflators, to iffue their mangled productions into the world as their own manufacture; though, upon comparison, they do not even deferve the character of being accurate translations from the German; a language, with which our modern translators, in general, are bur very imperfectly acquainted. To obviate a charge of this nature, and to acknowledge my obligations to thofe meritorious friends of literature in Germany, from whofe labours I have derived very confiderable affiftance in the compofition of this work, I must mention, in the first place, the REV DR. STAEUDLIN, PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY AT GoetTINGEN. His claffical performance, "On the Spirit and·· Hiftory of Scepticism, in two Volumes, octavo, 1794,” has afforded me the materials of the HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.'-In reliance upon a character of so much worth worth and eminence, as that of Dr. Staeudlin, I have not hefitated, pp. 23 and 24, to record, with due praise and respect, a work written by Mr. ADAM WEISHAUpt. Without entering upon an inquiry into Mr. Weishaupt's moral character, I can fafely aver, that his literary works. have been received, upon the Continent, with almost univerfal approbation. In this affertion, I am fupported by the Conductors of the firft German Reviews in general, and particularly by the refpectable evidence of Prof. Staeudlin himself, as well as by that of the celebrated PROF. EBERHARD OF HALLE, both of whom have ranked Mr. Weishaupt's writings among the firft philofophical com pofitions of Germany. And as he has lately published the third volume of his work" On Truth and Moral Perfection; Regensburg, 1796;" as likewife another work entitled, "On the fecret Art of Governing Frankfort on the Main, 1795;" I must leave Mr Weishaupt to defend his private character in Britain, as well as he has done it to the fatisfaction of his learned friends in Germany. For the concifenefs of the SYNOPSIS,' which contains the ftatement and general solution of Five connected Problems, I need make no apology; as the terms occurring in this part of the ELEMENTS' are, I hope, fufficiently explained in the GLOSSARY. Without this expe dient, I might have extended the Synopfis alone to a length, far exceeding the whole of the prefent work. In the CHRONOLOGICAL ANALYSIS,' perhaps, I have been in fome parts too prolix, while others might have been been enlarged upon with advantage. But it is not an eafy matter to keep within proper bounds, in the difcuffion of abstract metaphysical subjects. Nor dare I flatter myself, that I am fufficiently acquainted with the idiom of the English language, to exhibit the most abftrufe inquiries of the human mind, in a luminous point of view. In this refpect, I can offer no better apology than that given by my great master, whose own words I have quoted in page 9. of the Introduction.-Although I had the good fortune to attend Prof. Kant's Lectures between the years 1778 and 1781, during my refidence at the University of Koenigfberg; and again heard feveral of his Lectures in fummer 1792, when I revifited my native country; yet I must confefs, that my other profeffional labours have not permitted me to devote, to the study of the Critical Syftem of Philofophy, that portion of time and close application, which, in more favourable circumstances, I should have been happy to bestow upon this important branch of human knowledge. Relying, however, on the candour and impartiality of the learned in this country, I trust they will not decide upon a work of fo comprehenfive a nature as the present, from partial views; nor do I entertain the least appre henfion, that they will be deterred from a thorough examination of it, by any paradoxical pofitions, or even apparent contradictions, that may occur in the first perufal.— A nation, which has produced a BACON, a NEWTON, a LOCKE, a HUME, and fo many other profound inquirers, cannot be supposed to have a taste merely for the lighter, (or (or what are vulgarly called) popular pursuits of literature. Valuable and useful as these are to the community at large, no man of any penetration will deny, that metaphyfical fpeculations, or inquiries into first truths, are equally beneficial and honourable; though they must ever remain the property of the few, whofe genius leaves the beaten track, and fearches for higher principles than fuch, as are barely deduced from the world of fenfe, or experience. To thofe, therefore, who are both able and disposed to become acquainted with the spirit of the Critical System, I beg leave to address myself in the words of the worthy PROFESSOR WILL of ALTDORF, who gives his pupils the following excellent advice: 1. "Not to prejudge and decry the works of KANT, as being too fubtle and abftrufe, as being couched in unintelligible terms, as breathing innovation, and productive of confufion in philofophy: 2," Not to complain of the want of that plainness, which is neceffary to render a book palatable to popular readers; fince difficulty of apprehenfion appears to be peculiar to the inquiries, that form the object of the CRITIQUE:' 3, "Not to appeal, according to the prevailing fashion of the age, to the decision of the multitude, whenever an abstract propofition occurs, which cannot, at first view, be clearly understood from the fimple operations of Common Senfe;' for Metaphyfics do not acknowledge the exclufive competency of this tribunal : 4, To abstract from all other Metaphyfical Systems, in studying the Critical, i. e. not to make any other System the standard, by which the merits of the prefent are to be tried: 5, To ftudy first the general aim of the work, by fucceffively examining every solution, which the Critique of Kant affords in regard to the five principal problems (contained in the Synopfis'): and lastly, 6, As the inquiries forming the object of Kant's Critique are merely of a speculative nature, to proceed likewife in the prosecution of them merely upon fpeculative grounds, and to abstain carefully from all partial views of any interest whatever. For the refult of found fpeculation can never be prejudicial to the true interefts of human nature." With respect to the GLOSSARY, I must refer the reader to the few obfervations premised at the head of it: and if I have not fucceeded in rendering the fubject itfelf more intelligible, by the definitions given of those terms, in the ufe of which Kant differs from his cotemporaries, I can only plead the good intention, and the patient industry, with which I collected and arranged the materials, . The THREE PHILOLOGICAL ESSAYS' have been added to thefe ELEMENTS' by way of Appendix; in order to relieve the reader, in fome degree, from the ar duous task-and fuch it undoubtedly is-of reflecting upon fo great a variety of abstract subjects. And as thefe Essays are, in a manner, unconnected with the Philofophy of |