considerable credit upon the understandings of men to comprehend the extent of his discoveries; and it is no small happiness to every person of a scientific turn of mind, to live subsequent to the age which he irradiated by his genius. And how preeminent is the glory of Britain to enroll in the list of her enlightened sons, the man who may be denominated the great interpreter of the laws of nature, and the brightest luminary of science!

Newton, with the diffidence of one, who was truly sensible of the limited powers of the human mind, advanced with slow and steady pace along the road of experiment, and ascended from certain effects, ascertained upon earth, to obscure causes, which were concealed in heaven. With an ardent and penetrating eye he looked abroad upon nature, discovered her genuine character, and, always acting under the control of a cautious and solid judgment, established no principles, which were not perfectly consistent with her real constitution. He thought it not beneath the dignity of his philosophical character to remark the slightest effects, aimed at certainty in particular pursuits; and had the merit, the glory, and the happiness, to be in every pursuit successful.

So justly does the genius of Newton claim a conspicuous place in every discussion of mathematical subjects. Still however we are not so far dazzled by the lustre even of his name, or astonished by the extent and the variety of his discoveries, as to think that the works of nature are solely to be viewed through the medium of theorems and calculations. The works of the great Creator are not confined to abstract considerations of numbers and measures, as the sole criteria of their excellence. The sublime productions

of Almighty power, the sun shining in meridian glory, the moon pouring her mild light upon the earth, the ocean rolling its vast floods, and the beautiful colours which diversify all objects, charm the heart, and please the fancy, by their external appearance, at least as much as an inquiry into their laws, nature, and constitution can satisfy the understanding.

CHAPTER IV.

THE WORKS OF NATURE.

IT is the glorious privilege of man, while other animals are confined within the limits which instinct has prescribed, to carry his observations beyond his own immediate wants, and to contemplate the universe at large. He extends his inquiries to all the objects which surround him, and exercises his judgment, and informs his understanding, by ascertaining their nature properties, and uses. In the various branches of the mathematics, in the abstract speculations of metaphysics, or in searching the records of history, he is solely intent upon the operations of his own mind, or the actions of himself and his fellow creatures: but in the study of nature, he examines every object presented to his senses, and takes a general survey of the wide and interesting prospects of the creation. The earth he treads, the ocean he crosses, the air he breathes, the starry heavens on which he gazes, the mines and caverns he explores, all present to him abundant materials for his researches. And when thus employed, he is engaged in a manner peculiarly

suitable to his faculties, since he alone is capable of knowledge, he alone is distinguished by the power of admiration, and exalted by the faculty of reason. The terraqueous globe presents a most glorious and most sublime prospect, equally worthy of the capacity of man to contemplate, and beautiful to his eye to behold. And the treasures of nature, which this prospect comprehends, are so rich and inexhaustible, that they may furnish employment for his greatest diligence, stimulated by the most ardent curiosity, and assisted by the most favourable opportunities. At the same time that she solicits him to follow her not only into her open walks, but likewise to explore her secret recesses, she fails not to reward him with the purest gratifications of the mind, because at every step he takes, new instances of beauty, variety, and perfection are unfolded to his view.

The study of the works of nature is in itself capable of affording the most refined pleasure, and the most edifying instruction. All the objects with which we are surrounded, the smallest as well as the greatest, teach us some useful lesson. All of them speak a language directed to man, and to man alone. Their particular structure and formation convey to us a most pleasing and interesting truth. Their evident tendency to some determined end marks the design of a great Creator; and their mutual relations, both to us and to each other, are so manifest, as to point out the various links in the vast chain of creation. They have both a physical and a moral use: they enrich our lives with conveniencies, instruct our understandings with important truths, and warm our hearts with the most ardent gratitude to the supreme Being. The volume of creation is replete with wisdom; it contains the

objects of arts, science, and philosophy, and is open to the inspection of all the inhabitants of the globe. Nature speaks by her works an universal language, the rudiments of which are peculiarly adapted to the inclination and capacity of the young, whose curiosity may be gratified and excited by turns: but more profound and extensive inquiries are suitable to the contemplation of persons of every age; and no subject can be more worthy of their attentive observation.

The different theories of the earth, the generation of animals, the first population of the world, the perceptive power of vegetables, and the internal structure of the globe, are subjects respectively supported by arguments, which may rather invite assent by their plausibility, than produce conviction by their evidence; and may perplex our minds without satisfying our judgment: but no one can survey the common phenomena of nature, the wonders of the heavenly bodies, and the productions of the earth and the ocean, without arriving at some accurate conclusions as to their origin and design, and without increasing pleasure at every new discovery.

It is the object of the naturalist to examine all the visible works of the creation; he is therefore employed in the most extensive province of human knowledge, as nature appears to have fixed no bounds to her productions. Still however, if no limits can be set to a subject so copious, it may at least be reduced into order. Philosophers have accordingly divided all the productions of the globe into three classes, which are denominated kingdoms; and comprehend, I. ANIMALS; II. VEGETABLES; and, III. MINERALS.

THE COMPARATIVE NATURE OF MAN.

I. That which is first to nature in the order of creation, is not first to man in the order of philosophical inquiries; or, in other words, the progress of the Creator is different from that of the creature. When the Supreme Being by his omnipotent word called the universe into existence, he began, as we are informed upon the authority of scripture, with the most simple elements, and proceeded from inanimate and unorganized matter, first to the creation of the vegetable tribes, then to the inferior animals, and finally to the human race. Genesis i, and ii. Man begins his speculations with himself, and, from contemplating the structure of his own body, and the faculties of his mind, proceeds to survey the rest of the creation. He considers the properties of animals, the vegetable tribes which cover the earth, and the masses of unorganized matter, which are found beneath its surface: and this view raises his mind from the contemplation of effects so numerous, so diversified, and so wonderful, to the discovery of their primary cause.

Man, the image of the Deity, the first and noblest of all his works, is distinguished from other animals, no less by his external form, than his internal faculties. The most accurate knowledge of him is derived from comparison; for if the brute creation had no existence, his nature would be little understood, and very inadequately comprehended. Such is the advantage to be -derived from comparative anatomy, and the contrast between the intellectual properties of man, and the instinctive power of beasts. The external figure of the human species indicates him to be the lord of the