cially of the doctrine of Elimination, and of the solution of Equations containing more than one unknown quantity. Preliminary information upon the subject-matter will be found in the special treatises on Probabilities in "Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia," and the "Library of Useful Knowledge," the former of these by Professor De Morgan, the latter by Sir John Lubbock; and in an interesting series of Letters translated from the French of M. Quetelet. Other references will be given in the work. On a first perusal the reader may omit at his discretion, Chapters x., xiv., and xix., together with any of the applications which he may deem uninviting or irrelevant.
In different parts of the work, and especially in the notes to the concluding chapter, will be found references to various writers, ancient and modern, chiefly designed to illustrate a certain view of the history of philosophy. With respect to these, the Author thinks it proper to add, that he has in no instance given a citation which he has not believed upon careful examination to be supported either by parallel authorities, or by the general tenor of the work from which it was taken. While he would gladly have avoided the introduction of anything which might by possibility be construed into the parade of learning, he felt it to be due both to his subject and to the truth, that the statements in the text should be accompanied by the means of verification. And if now, in bringing to its close a labour, of the extent of which few persons will be able to judge from its apparent fruits, he may be permitted to speak for a single moment of the feelings with which he has pursued, and with which he now lays aside, his task, he would say, that he never doubted that it was worthy of his best efforts; that he felt that whatever of truth it might bring to light was not a private or arbitrary thing, not dependent, as to its essence, upon any human opinion. He was fully aware that learned and able men maintained opinions upon the subject of
