Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse, LLD. F.R.S., late president of the American Philosophical Society, &c. : $b interspersed with various notices of many distinguished men : with an appendix, containing sundry philosophical and other papers, most of which have not hitherto been published

For these
reasons, the Memorialist has pursued that course which he conceives to
be perfectly congenial with the main design of his work; as best
calculated to promote its general usefulness, and most suitably adapted
to render it interesting, even to those who read for amusement solely.

In the adoption of this plan, the writer has been chiefly influenced by
a desire to illustrate the history, genius and character of the times,
which his Memoirs embrace; together with the progress and improvement of
literature, science and the arts, within the same compass, more
especially in this country; and this consideration has obviously led him
to introduce, in conjunction with those objects, as well as with the
Life of the great American Philosopher, various notices of many persons
distinguished for their talents and merit, not only in our own time, but
at different periods in the annals of science. He has thought it right
to rescue from oblivion—to commemorate in this way, if not to
consecrate, the names of some men in this country, more especially, who
deserve to be ranked among the worthies of America. All this the writer
has done, too, in conformity to the mode prosecuted by some of the most
judicious biographers and memorialists, together with other writers of
the same class: It is believed to be a manner of treating the
interesting subjects, on which the pens of such authors have been
employed, which, while it renders their works more pleasing, greatly
increases their usefulness.—If, therefore, some of the matter which has
been introduced into the present work should, at first sight, appear
irrelative, and even unimportant, the Memorialist nevertheless flatters
himself, that, on reflection, nothing will be deemed really so, how
remotely soever it may seem, on a transient view of the subject, to be
connected with the principal design of the undertaking; provided it has
a tendency to illustrate the great objects he was desirous of
accomplishing.[I1]

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Footnote I1:

  The biographer of RITTENHOUSE entirely coincides with the compilers of
  the _Encyclopædia Britannica_, in opinion, respecting the utility and
  propriety of giving an account, in such Memoirs as the present, of
  _things_ as well as _persons_, connected in various ways with the main
  object of the work.

  In the preface to that useful dictionary of arts, sciences and
  miscellaneous literature, are the following observations: the
  consideration they merit; is submitted to the good sense of the
  reader.

  “While one part of our readers,” say the encyclopedists, when
  referring to the _biographical_ department of their work, “will regret
  that we have given no account of their favourite philosopher, hero, or
  statesman, others may be disposed to remark, that we have dragged from
  obscurity the names of many persons who were no proper objects of such
  public regard. To these we can only reply, that, with the greatest
  biographer of modern times, we have long thought that there has rarely
  passed a life, of which a faithful narrative would not be useful; and
  that in the lives of the most obscure persons, of whom we have given
  any account, we saw something either connected with recent discoveries
  and public affairs, or which we thought capable of affording a lesson
  to great multitudes in similar circumstances.”—“Between eminent
  achievements and the scenes where they were performed, there is a
  natural and necessary connexion. The character of the warrior is
  connected with the fields of his battles; that of the legislator, with
  the countries which he civilized; and that of the traveller and
  navigator, with the regions which they explored. Even when we read of
  the _persons_ by whom, and the occasions on which, any particular
  branch of knowledge has been improved, we naturally wish to know
  something of the _places_ where such improvements were made.”

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The diversity of the materials which are, by these means, blended with
the biographical account of Dr. Rittenhouse, in the Memoirs now
presented to the world, made it expedient, in the opinion of the writer,
to have recourse to the free use of notes, for the purposes of
illustration, reference, and explanation. In a work of such a
complexion—constituting a book composed of very various materials,
designed to elucidate and inform, as well as to please—it became, in
fact, necessary to throw a large portion of that matter into the form of
notes; in order to avoid, by numerous digressions on subjects arising
out of the primary object of the work, too much disjointing of the text.
There are persons, no doubt, by whom this course will be disapproved.
The able and learned author of the _Pursuits of Literature_ has been
accused by _some critics_—while others, who have no pretensions to those
qualifications which entitle a man to exercise the functions of a
critic, have even affected to laugh at him—for the multiplicity, the
variety, and the length of the notes, which he has appended to that
poem.