Excerpt from Johnson's New Universal Cyclopedia, Vol. 2 of 4: A Scientific and Popular Treasury of Useful Knowledge; Part I., F-Herman

The design with which the work, the Second Volume of which is herewith given to the public, was originally undertaken, was to furnish a convenient hand-book of ready reference, more comprehensive in its scope and more condensed in its statements of fact than any of its class which had preceded it. The favor with which the First Volume has been received, and the flattering expressions of approval which it has elicited from impartial judges of the highest competency, have been such as to assure its Editors that the want they aimed to supply is one widely felt, and that the efibrts they have made to meet it have not been unsuccessful. Encouraged by these evidences Of approbation, and by the confidence derived from their experience in the preparation of the First Volume, they have striven, as the work advanced, to make the performance even better than the promise; and the present volume will be found to more than fulfil the pledges which accompanied the publication of the first.

The plan of the work as originally projected contemplated but three volumes. This number, for weighty reasons, was afterward extended to four, but the change was made so early as to affect very few of the subscribers, and with scarcely an exception was cordially approved by these. The expediency of the change was suggested by the gratifying success of the Editors in enlisting, to an extent greatly surpassing anticipation, the active co-ope ration of eminent collaborators both in this country and abroad, and thus accumulating a mass Of material too voluminous to be embraced within the limits originally proposed, and quite too valuable to be suppressed. There has thus been secured to the work the very signal advantage that the freshness of the information it furnishes upon all those topics as to which the progress of research brings change, and the accuracy of its state ments Upon topics of importance of every kind, are attested by the names of men recog nized everywhere as authorities upon the subjects of which they treat. While, therefore, the plan of the work, as laid down in the original Preface, has been faithfully adhered to, the proportional number of articles having the form of systematic essays will be found in this volume to have been materially increased, and the number of articles of all descrip tions bearing the signatures of distinguished special contributors is greater by some hun dreds than in the volume preceding. Very many of these - not fewer than two or three hundred at the smallest estimate - are articles upon topics of interest in science, letters, and constructive art of which the titles do not appear in any contemporary work of the kind; many of them having been, in fact, suggested by the recent progress Of scientific discovery or literary research.

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