[1] The translator thinks, as he has not translated that Discourse, it will not be amiss to insert here the Author’s sentiment on this subject. In the Essay or Discourse referred to, after reciting the arguments that have been used to prove the invention came from China, and the claims that have been made on the behalf of a variety of people, to their being the inventors; he gives it as his opinion, that Bertoldus Schuvart, a German Franciscan friar, and an eminent chemist, was the man who invented it, or at least was the person who, brought the invention to perfection. [2] This is the same John Locke, of whose writings, as also of those of Rapin, Sidney, and Bishop Hoadly, the late David Hume, in his History of Great Britain, gives the following description: “Compositions of the most despicable kind both for style and matter, which have been extolled, and propagated, and read; as if they had equalled the most celebrated remains of antiquity.” Vid. vol. viii. pag. 323, of the last edition of Hume’s History of Great Britain, published in 1778. ERRATA. Page 68, line 27, _read_ such for example as spiritual entities. Page 101, line 8, _for_ that, _read_ and that. Page 104, line 16, _read_ and after turning, &c. Page 129, line 25, _for_ executed, _read_ executes. Page 157, line 12, _for_ ascends, _read_ ascend; and line 21, _for_ lerned, _read_ learned. Page 158, line 20, _for_ but, _read_ yet. Page 169, line 13, _read_ many of those instruments. Page 187, line 20, _read_ proper resolution. Page 212, line 9, _for_ had, _read_ has. Page 213, line 14, _for_ raise, _read_ arise. Page 271, line 3, _for_ reasonable, _read_ reasoning. Page 272, line 6, _for_ qulities, _read_ qualities. Page 273, line 10, _for_ is, _read_ are. Page 297, line 14, _read_ as it is called. Page 352, line 6, _for_ eben, _read_ been. =Transcriber’s Note:= The errata have been corrected, along with a few other minor printing errors.