"A forgotten essay of the great Christian philosopher, Robert Boyle, still exists... in which the dignity, value, and scientific interest of industrial pursuits are in a singular manner represented. This essay is a description of the benefits likely to ensue from the "Naturalist's (in other words the philosopher's) insight into trades." It contains some striking instances of the mutual benefits which might arise from a wider diffusion of the knowledge gained by the mechanic, and from the infusion into his practice of the principles discovered by philosophy. He remarks with justice that much may be learned about the properties of matters in the workshop of the artizan, which is pased over in silence by the most famous books."