Gale's cabinet of knowledge; or, miscellaneous recreations: containing moral and philosophical essays, propositions, natural and metaphysical maxims, and observations on subjects of general utility.

Title continues: 'With a series of easy, entertaining, and interesting mechanical, magnetical, and magical experiments; including the most celebrated card deceptions; together with about seven hundred serious, comic, and humorous queries, paradoxes, &c. with pertinent and ingenious answers; comprizing the essence of the Lady's, Gentleman's, and Carnan's diaries: Ozanam and Hooper's Recreations; Martin's Philosophical Magazines, &c. Illustrated with copper-plate engravings, to which are added, a great number of originals. Likewise an appendix; containing various propositions tending to prove light and heat two distinct beings; with some curious definitions in optics.' Aimed at general readers, especially young ones, the first part contains observations on moral and religious questions, astronomy, the calendar; part two contains card tricks and other illusions, including the camera obscura and the magic lantern, and optical illusions with mirrors; part three consists of queries and paradoxes, and the appendix concerns light and heat, the aurora borealis, and the properties of numbers.

Part of the Bill Douglas and Peter Jewell Collection