My Lord,
You will perhaps wonder that an obscure person, who has not the honour tobe known to your lordship, should presume to address you in this manner.But that a man who has written something with a design to promote UsefulKnowledge and Religion in the world should make choice of your lordshipfor his patron, will not be thought strange by any one that is notaltogether unacquainted with the present state of the church andlearning, and consequently ignorant how great an ornament and support youare to both. Yet, nothing could have induced me to make you this presentof my poor endeavours, were I not encouraged by that candour and nativegoodness which is so bright a part in your lordship's character. I mightadd, my lord, that the extraordinary favour and bounty you have beenpleased to show towards our Society gave me hopes you would not beunwilling to countenance the studies of one of its members. Theseconsiderations determined me to lay this treatise at your lordship'sfeet, and the rather because I was ambitious to have it known that I amwith the truest and most profound respect, on account of that learningand virtue which the world so justly admires in your lordship, MY LORD,Your lordship's most humble and most devoted servant,
GEORGE BERKELEY
What I here make public has, after a long and scrupulous inquiry, seemedto me evidently true and not unuseful to be known--particularly to thosewho are tainted with Scepticism, or want a demonstration of the existenceand immateriality of God, or the natural immortality of the soul. Whetherit be so or no I am content the reader should impartially examine; sinceI do not think myself any farther concerned for the success of what Ihave written than as it is agreeable to truth. But, to the end this maynot suffer, I make it my request that the reader suspend his judgmenttill he has once at least read the whole through with that degree ofattention and thought which the subject-matter shall seem to deserve.For, as there are some passages that, taken by themselves, are veryliable (nor could it be remedied) to gross misinterpretation, and to becharged with most absurd consequences, which, nevertheless, upon anentire perusal will appear not to follow from them; so likewise, thoughthe whole