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Phænomena of the particular Qualities succinctly mentioned in these Notes; though, my secondary end being to become a Benefactor to the History of Qualities by providing Materials for my self or better Architects, I have not scrupled to adde to those, that tend more directly to discover the Nature or Essence of the Quality treated of, and to derive it from Mechanical Principles, some others (which happen'd to come in my way) that acquaint us but with some of the less luciferous Phænomena.
II. That you may not mistake what is driven at in many of the Experiments and Reasonings deliver'd or propos'd in the ensuing Notes about Particular Qualities, I must desire you to take notice with me, what it is that I pretend to offer you some proofs of. For, if I took upon me to demonstrate, that the Qualities of bodies cannot proceed from (what the Schools call) Substantial Forms, or from any other Causes but Mechanical, it might be reasonably enough expected, that my Argument should directly exclude them all. But since, in my Explications of Qualities, I pretend only, that they may be explicated by Mechanical Principles, without enquiring, whether they are explicable by any other; that which I need to prove, is,not
