SHORT SYSTEM

OF

POLITE LEARNING,

BEING

AN EPITOME

OF THE

ARTS AND SCIENCES,

FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS.

Daniel Jaudon

SEVENTH AMERICAN EDITION, IMPROVED,
BY AN EMINENT WRITER OF PHILADELPHIA.

A taste of every sort of knowledge is necessary to form
the mind, and is the only way to give the understanding
its due improvement to the full extent of its capacity.

LOCKE

PHILADELPHIA:

PUBLISHED BY BENJAMIN WARNER,

NO. 171 MARKET STREET.

1820. a.

DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, TO WIT:

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the first day of April, in the forty-fourth year of the Independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1820, BENJAMIN WARNER, of the said district, hath deposited in this office, the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit:

"A short system of Polite Learning, being an Epitome of "the Arts and Sciences; for the use of schools. Seventh "American edition, improved, by an eminent writer of "Philadelphia. A taste of every sort of knowledge is ne"cessary to form the mind, and is the only way to give the "understanding its due improvement to the full extent of "its capacity. LOCKE."

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, intituled, "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies durng the times therein mentioned; and also to the act, entitled, "An act supplementary to an act, entitled, 'An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints."

D. CALDWELL, clerk of the eastern
district of Pennsylvania.

PREFACE.

THE present is designed as an improvement of the sixth American edition of this valuable little work. No alteration has been made in the collection of scientific matter: indeed, none could, advantageously, be accomplished. The subjects, originally chosen, appear the best adapted to combine utility with conciseness. Much, however, has been done, to render the compilation more instructive. The language has been refined; the punctuation completed and corrected; the definitions are given with more clearness, and modern discoveries in natural philosophy substituted in the room of long exploded speculations. The civil divisions, in the geographical department, have been assimi

lated to the present time; and political institutions, as well as statistical accounts, have been equally the object of attention. Chronological errors, it is presumed, will, in the present edi tion, seldom be detected; and inaccuracies of every kind, accumulated in all works, when long confided to the sole examination of the printer, without the occasional superintendence of the author, are as few, the editor believes, as the variety of matter, contained in a book of this nature, will admit.

The Arts and Sciences, by being wrapped up in the learned languages, and obscured by a multitude of technical terms, have long been held beyond the reach and capacity, not only of youth in general, but of maturer years also; especially, where the advantages of education have been limited. This epitome, however, will, it is hoped, bring them to the level of the most moderate capacity; and without much expense, either of time or money, furnish a toler