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Hypothesis, yet it may much strengthen the Arguments drawn from other Topicks, and thereby serve to recommend the Doctrine it self. For, the use of an Hypothesis being to render an intelligible account of the Causes of the Effects or Phænomena propos'd, without crossing the Laws of Nature or other Phænomena, the more numerous and the more various the Particulars are, whereof some are explicable by the assign'd Hypothesis, and some are agreeable to it, or at least are not dissonant from it, the more valuable is the Hypothesis, and the more likely to be true. For 'tis much more difficult, to finde an Hypothesis that is not true which will suit with many Phænomena, especially if they be of various kinds, than but with few. And for this Reason I have set down among the Instances belonging to particular Qualities some such Experiments and Observations, as we are now speaking of, since, although they be not direct proofs of the preferrablennss of our Doctrine, yet they may serve for Confirmation of it; though this be not the only or perhaps the chief Reason of their being mention'd. For whatever they may be as Arguments, since they are matters of fact, I thought it not amiss to take this occasion of preserving them from beinglost;
