Thb very ample introduction, prefixed to the following collection of Mathematical Tables, supersedes the necessity of using many words
here by way of preface, and leaves little more to be mentioned than
the necessity and occasion of this work, with some account of the
contents and mode of execution.
The undertaking was occasioned by the great incorrectness of all
the editions of Sherwin's or Gardiner's Tables, and more especially
by the bad arrangement in the fifth or last edition. - rinding, as
well from the report of others, as from my own experience) that'tfcotie
editions (to say nothing of the very improper alteration in" the forrn.
of the table of sines, tangents, and secants in the last pf "their.*) v.-ere
so very incorrectly printed, the errors being multiplied -'bieyonil 'all
tolerable bounds, and no dependence to be placed on then* lor any
thing of real practice, I was led to undertake the painful office of
preparing a correct edition of another similar work. And 1 was
lucky enough to meet with a bookseller of sufficient spirit to be at
the great expense of printing the book, as well as to allow me what
I demanded for my trouble in preparing it; which demand, however,
was nothing adequate to the great labour attending it, as I was well
aware that the profits of the book would not enable him fully to
reward my pains.