Chapter I: MAY perhaps be thought too minute in some of the before-mentioned

Particulars; but in Inquiries abstruse as these are, where we have so little _a priori_ to direct us, the greatest Attention must be had to every Circumstance, if we are truly desirous of investigating the Laws of this surprizing Power. For, as has been said upon another Occasion by my ever honoured Friend MARTIN FOLKES, Esq; our most worthy President, "that Electricity seems to furnish an inexhaustible Fund for Inquiry; and sure Phænomena so various and so wonderful can arise only from Causes very general and extensive, and such as must have been designed by the Almighty Author of Nature for the Production of very great Effects, and such as are of great Moment to the System of the Universe."

IF these Observations receive the Countenance of this learned Society, I shall think myself sufficiently recompensed, and am,

_Gentlemen, with the highest Esteem,_
_your most Obedient_
_humble Servant_,
W. WATSON.

_FINIS._

-----

Footnote 1:

Dr. _Gowin Knight_, F. R. S.

Footnote 2:

I call _Electrics per se_ or originally-_electrics_, those Bodies, in
which an attractive Power towards light Substances is easily excited
by Friction; such as Glass, Amber, Sulphur, Sealing-wax, and most dry
Parts of Animals, as Silk, Hair, and such like. I call _Non-electrics_
or Conductors of Electricity, those Bodies, in which the above
Property is not at all or very slightly perceptible; such as Wood,
Animals living or dead, Metals and vegetable Substances. See _Gray_,
_Du Fay_, _Desaguliers_, _Wheler_, in the Philosophical Transactions.

Footnote 3:

Page 6.

Footnote 4:

I have constantly observed, that the electrical Attraction through
Glass is much more powerful, when the Glass is made warm, than when
cold. This Effect may proceed from a two-fold Cause: First, warm Glass
does not condense the Water from the Air, which makes the Glass, as
has been before[5] demonstrated, a Conductor of Electricity: secondly;
As heat enlarges the Dimensions of all known Bodies, and consequently
causes their constituent Parts to recede from each other, the
electrical Effluvia, passing in straight Lines, find probably a more
ready Passage through their Pores.

Footnote 5:

Page 13.

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Transcriber's note:

All footnotes moved to the end of the text.

Page 5, 'Contract' changed to 'Contact,' "the Contact of
Non-electrics..."

Page 6, 'Power' changed to 'Poker,' "I suspended a Poker in silk
Lines;"

Page 7, second 'it' struck, "if it does..."

Page 9, 'o'Clock' rejoined.

Page 9, period added to 'E. N. E.'

Page 22, 'erectified' changed to 'electrified,' "and a Person not
electrified..."

Page 49, 'it' changed to 'itself,' "not even Gold itself."