great Creator are not confined to abftract confiderations of phyfical properties, as the fole criteria of their excellence. The fublime productions of Almighty power, the fun fhining in meridian glory, the moon pouring her mild light upon the earth, the ocean rolling its vaft floods, and the beautiful colours which diverfify all objects, charm the eye, and please the fancy, by their external appearance, at least as much as an inquiry into their laws and conftitution can fatisfy the underftanding. Too much speculation upon the properties of matter is calculated to deftroy that relifh for the elegant pleafures of the imagination, which nature has defigned for our enjoyment: while fcience is allowed its due fhare of importance in the improvement of the understanding, it muft ftill be regarded as of fecondary confideration to various parts of polite literature; which, more especially in its hiftorical branches, has a direct tendency to form the manners, as well as exercife the judgment, and affords rules and examples immediately applicable to the bufinefs and duties of focial and active life.

"Apt the mind and fancy is to rove,
Uncheck'd, and of her roving is no end:
Till warn'd, or by experience taught, the learn
That not to know at large of things remote
From use, obscure and subtle, but to know
That which before us lies in daily life

Is the prime wifdom; what is more, is fume
Or emptiness, or fond impertinence,

And

And renders us in things that most concern,

Unpractis'd, unprepar'd, and ftill to feek."

As to point out the relative importance and utility of thefe ftudies is perfectly confiftent with my general plan; fo fhould I efteem it an act of injuftice to withhold from thofe who make deep refearches into fcience, their due commendation. The University of Cambridge furnishes abundant examples of the proficiency of her members in the various branches of the Mathematics. And it cannot be thought foreign to my purpofe, as an advocate for the acquirement of general knowledge, to remark, that many of the ftudents recorded in her annual lifts of honours have given ample proofs of their progrefs in claffical learning, and their skill in elegant compofition. This is fufficient to fhew not only what may be accomplished during the ufual period of academical education; but that polite learning and science, fo far from being incompatible, or at variance, may advance hand in hand in the cultivation of the mind, and be united in that friendly affociation, which connects, by ties more or lefs apparent, all liberal ftudies.

Milton's Par. Loft, book viii.

7

CHAPTER

CHAPTER IV.

The IVorks of Nature“.

IT is the privilege of MAN, while other animals are confined within the limits, which inftinct has prefcribed, to carry his obfervations beyond his own immediate wants, and to contemplate the Univerfe at large. He extends his inquiries to all the objects, which furround him, and exercises his judgment, and informs his understanding, by afcertaining their nature, properties, and ufes. In the various branches of the mathematics, in the fpeculations of metaphyfics, or in fearching the records of hiftory, he is folely intent upon the operations of his own mind, or the actions of himself and his fellow-creatures; but in the ftudy of nature, he examines every object prefented to his fenfes, and takes a general furvey of the wide profpects of the creation. The air he breathes, the earth he treads, the ocean he croffes, the ftarry heavens on which he gazes, the mines and caverns he explores, all fupply him with abundant materials for his researches. The terraqueous

Many obfervations in this chapter are taken from Derham's Phyfico Theology, Ray's Wifdom of God in the Works of the Creation, Etudes de la Nature, par St. Pierre, and Sullivan's View of Nature.

globe

globe presents a moft fublime profpect, equally worthy of the capacity of man to contemplate, and beautiful to his eye to behold. And the treafures of nature, which this profpect comprehends, are fo numerous, that they may furnish employment for his greateft diligence, ftimulated by the moft ardent curiofity, and affifted by the molt favourable opportunities. At the fame time that the folicits him to follow her not only into her open walks, but likewife to explore her fecret receffes, fhe fails not to reward him with the pureft gratifications of the mind, becaufe at every step he takes, new inftances of beauty, variety, and perfection are unfolded to his view.

The ftudy of the works of nature is in itself capable of affording the moft refined pleasure, and the most edifying inftruction. All the objects with which we are furrounded, the fmalleft as well as the greateft, teach us fome ufeful leffon. All of them fpeak a language directed to man, and to man alone. Their particular ftructure and formation convey to us a moft pleafing and interefting truth. Their evident tendency to fome determined end marks the defign of a great Creator; and their mutual relations, both to us and to each other, are fo manifeft, as to point out the various links in the vaft chain of creation. They have both a phyfical and a moral ufe: they enrich our lives with conveniencies, inftruct our understandings with important truths, and warm our hearts with the moft ardent gratitude to the fupreme

Being. The volume of creation is replete with wifdom; it contains the objects of arts, fcience, and philofophy, and is open to the infpection of all the inhabitants of the globe. Nature fpeaks by her works an univerfal language, which is peculiarly adapted to the inclination and capacity of the young, whofe curiofity may be excited and gratified by turns: but more profound and extenfive inquiries are fuitable to perfons of every age; and no fubject can be more worthy of their attentive obfervation.

The different theories of the earth, the generation of animals, the firft population of the world, the perceptive power of vegetables, and the internal ftructure of the globe, are fubjcas refpectively fupported by arguments, which may rather invite affent by their plaufibility, than produce conviction by their evidence; and may perplex our minds, without fatisfying our judgment: but no one can furvey the common appearances of nature, the wonders of the heavenly bodies, and the productions of the earth and the ocean, without arriving at fome accurate conclufions as to their origin and defign, and without increafing pleafure at every new difcovery.

It is the object of the naturalift to examine all the vifible works of the creation; he is therefore employed in the moft extenfive province of human knowledge, as nature appears to have fixed no bounds to her productions. Still, however, if no limits