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                                   AN

                                 ESSAY

                              TO SHEW THE

                                 CAUSE

                                   OF

                              ELECTRICITY;

                                  AND

                 Why Some Things are Non-Electricable.

                      In which is also Consider’d

           Its Influence in the _Blasts_ on Human Bodies,
             in the _Blights_ on Trees, in the _Damps_ in
             Mines; and as it may affect the _Sensitive
             Plant_, &c.

                              In a LETTER
                    To Mr. WILLIAM WATSON, _F.R.S._

             By JOHN FREKE, Surgeon to _St. Bartholomew’s_
                       Hospital, _London_, F.R.S.

            _Naturam expellas furcâ, tamen usque recurret._

                 The SECOND EDITION: With an APPENDIX.

                               _LONDON:_
              Printed for W. INNYS, in _Pater-noster Row_.

                               MDCCXLVI.
                         [Price One Shilling.]




------------------------------------------------------------------------




                                   TO

                         _MARTIN FOLKES_, Esq;

                               PRESIDENT

                                 OF THE

                             ROYAL SOCIETY.


    _SIR_,

Those who have the Honour of your Acquaintance, and thence know your
many excellent Qualifications, must applaud my Choice in dedicating this
small Piece to you; whose Name, if there be any Merit in the
Performance, will, before any other, add a Lustre to it. I am, with the
highest Esteem,

                                                     _Your most Obliged,
                                                       Humble Servant_,

                                                             JOHN FREKE.




------------------------------------------------------------------------




                              The PREFACE.


_When I first enter’d on this Subject of _Electricity_, I intended only
to put some Thoughts in Writing concerning it, that I might the more
easily convey them to the Understandings of such as I hoped would be
more likely than I should be to go farther with it. And as nobody,
either here or abroad, had published any thing touching the Cause from
which it was produc’d, I chose to shew the Beginning I had made to some
Friends, whose Opinion concerning Natural Knowlege I had a great
Reliance on. I told them, I thought my Difficulty would be to convey
what I had to propound on this new Subject to them with the necessary
Clearness, as my Intention was to observe the utmost Brevity in it._

_After I had read it to them, they assured me that what I had written
was perfectly intelligible; and that it gave them many new Ideas
respecting this _Phænomenon_; and were very earnest with me to print it,
for the sake of the Publick._

_I was not, however, inclined to comply with their Requests, till I had
shewn it to a Person who is most justly distinguish’d for his great
Candor, and superlative Understanding in all Natural Knowlege; and he
likewise having express’d his Wishes to see it in Print, I could not but
look on his Desire as a Command._

_If what I have here undertaken to shew should enlighten the Minds of
any of my Readers, or if it should so far awaken the Attention of
others, as to make them give better Reasons for the Operation of this
Power of Electricity than I have done, I shall not account the Time ill
spent, which I have employ’d on this interesting Subject: A Subject
which can, with more Nobleness and Dignity employ the Mind of Man, than
any I can think of relating to the sublunary Part of this World. For by
it you may be acquainted with the immediate Officer of _God Almighty_,
which he seems to send to all Things living. Nay, this Power, according
to my Conception, seems to be the Cause, under _HIM_, both of Life and
Death. And when it may be more fully understood, it may afford us Means
whereby we may be better enabled to reason more intelligibly than now we
can, concerning various Operations in Nature._

_I am very sensible what Tribute a new Author is liable to pay to
Criticks: I know it is too common to find much too large a Part of them
inclin’d to look into a Book for its Faults, rather than for its Use;
and are more ready to pull down, than they have Abilities to put any
thing in its Place. But as I am not writing this for any Gain to myself,
but the Pleasure of informing, if I can, the Minds of such as may be
informed by it, I chuse rather to stand their Censure, than deny the
Publick what may possibly be the Beginning of much Good._

_It is very probable, that those who pretend to know