Astronomical Dialogues Between a Gentleman and a Lady/The Preface
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THE
PREFACE.
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his Book was most of it written a good while ago: And being supposed to be lost for some Years, was lately retrieved, and reviewed by its Author, with the Disinteressedness of a Stranger. However, I liked it so well, as to resolve upon its present Publication, with some few Emendations and Additions. Of which latter sort the Description of the famous Orrery of Mr. Rowley, is the most considerable.
I wrote it in this diverting Way, in pursuit of a Design, which, as I have made the general Business of my Life, so I can look back upon its Success with Pleasure, viz. The engaging Persons of Birth and Fortune in a warm Application to useful and real Learning: To induce them to detach some of their happy Leisure from being lost by Sports, Play, or worse Avocations, and to dedicate it to the Improvement of their Minds.
For I have often been ashamed and shocked to see, how awkwardly the few Modest have lookt, in Conversations where they could bear no part; and how insolently others have despised what they neglected to understand.
But what glorious Improvements might one expect from Persons of Fortune and Leisure, if they would addict themselves to these Things? Who can bear the expence of Good Instruments for Cælestial Observations.
For tho' there can hardly be above a Score in an Age who have pursued these Studies thoroughly: Yet such great Lengths have been run in spite of all Disadvantages, as may easily convince us, what to have hoped for, if Great Men would now and then divert themselves this way.
The Reader will easily see that the Conversation in these Dialogues is feigned, and in Imitation of Those of the excellent Mr. Fontenelle, On the Plurality of Worlds. And that the Digressions, Reflexions, Poetry and Turns of Wit, are introduced to render Those Notions pleasing and agreeable, which perhaps without such a kind of Dress, would appear too crabbed and abstracted.
However, I don't perplex my Fair Astronomer with any thing but the true System of the World: I mislead her by no Notions of Chrystalline Heavens, or Solid Orbs: I embarrass her with no clumsey Epicycles, or imaginary and indeed impossible Vortices: But I shew her at first the Cælestial World just as it is; and teach her no Hypotheses, which, like some other things taught at Places of great Name, must be unlearned gain, before we can gain True Science.
And as I think it practicable to explain and teach any Science in this Facetious way (Facete enim & commode dicere quid vetat?) so perhaps I may hereafter, if God grant me Health, Ease and Leisure, make some other Attempts of this kind. For the Lady may well be supposed, tho' the Sight of the Globes first struck her Fancy and turned her Desires this way, to have made Excursions into other Parts of Mathematicks, and to have discoursed with her Friend on those Subjects. And perhaps all Those Dialogues may not be lost, as these had like to have been; but may, if these find a suitable Encouragement, be communicated also to the World.