EXPERIMENTS
AND
OBSERVATIONS

The following Sheets were notintended to be made publick, butas part of the Philosophical Transactions.As those Works are printed in theorder of Time they are read; these Observations,communicated to the RoyalSociety at different Meetings, would,upon that Account, have been publish'dseparate in different Numbers of thoseTransactions. To satisfy therefore theImpatience of several learned and veryvaluable Friends, to whose ImportunitiesI have neither Will, nor Inclinationto deny any thing in my Power togrant, I caused a few Copies to be printed,iithat the whole might be seen together,and then broke up the Press. Thishas excited the Curiosity of the Publick,and raised a Demand for these Experimentsmuch beyond what I had reasonto expect. I therefore found it necessaryto send them to the Press a second Time,lest some of those over-officious Gentlemen,who are always ready on theseOccasions, should do it for me; so thatwhoever has an Inclination, may now bemade acquainted, by what Means theseveral surprizing Phænomena of Electricityhave been brought about.

I chose to lay these Papers beforethe Publick in the same Dress whereinthey appeared before the very honourableand learned Body, to whom,as the various Effects of Electricity presentedthemselves, they were regularlycommunicated, and from whom theymet with a very favourable Reception.Many Members of the Royal Society,as well as several other Persons of greatiiiRank and Quality, have been repeatedWitnesses of the Facts which are herelaid before the World; particularly thepresent worthy President, MartinFolkes, Esq; whose extensive Abilitiesand great Knowledge in every Branchof useful Literature are exceeded only byhis Candour and Zeal in promoting Science.The Advice and Assistance of thisGentleman, whose Friendship I shall alwaysesteem as one of the greatest Happinessesof my Life, has been of greatMoment in the Prosecution of these Discoveries.I therefore take this publickManner of testifying my sincerest Obligationsas well to him, as to Sir HansSloane, Bart. who, although retiredfrom Business, is nevertheless attentiveto whatever tends to the Advancementof Philosophy. Upon a Report made tohim of these Experiments and Observations,he, as surviving Executor of SirGodfrey Copley, was pleased toappoint me last Year to receive the annualivPrize-medal of Gold, given by theRoyal Society in consequence of SirGodfrey's Benefaction. The Honourof being so particularly taken notice ofby Gentlemen