formed for eternity. And though there are portions of the heavens,-particularly in the southern hemisphere,―attesting ample space for new creations, yet no new creations are observed to be formed.

But the monotony, observable to the eye, is not a monotony to the reason. Nature never withdraws the veil from her womb, while she creates, or is teeming. She never dies; and never waxes old. Ever various in the midst of simplicity in form and colour-ever active even in the midst of apparent repose; the glass of the astronomer discerns globes, or bodies, wearing an appearance of recent creation. How large-Herschell, Saturn, Jupiter, and the Sun. may assist us to imagine ;-how small, Venus, Mercury, and the Asteroids.

Changes, too, in other instances, are evident to the eye of philosophy. The ring of Saturn varies in breadth; and is sometimes even invisible:-the belts of Jupiter and the zones of Mars have motions, and are variable-the Moon has its volcanic eruptions: and the sun has spots so large, that they are visible to the naked eye'; and sometimes so numerous, that fifty may be seen at the same time. These do not move parallel with the equator, nor have they equal velocities. Many of what we call fixed stars, too, have motions, and periodical variations in their lustres and apparent magnitudes. There were many stars, known to ancient astronomers, now invisible; and others are

19,628 miles in diameter. Spots on the Sun are said to have been first discovered by Gallileo or Scheiner: but, if I mistake not, Longinus alludes to them in his treatise on the Sublime.

visible, which were not so formerly. Some have appeared only for a short time; and some have gradually increased in brilliancy as others have gradually decreased.

Several stars have appeared, and subsequently disappeared; in Cassiopeia; in Serpentarius; in the neck of the whale; in the head and breast of the swan; in Andromeda's girdle; in Leo, and in Argo.Montaner asserts, that he had observed more than an hundred changes in the fixed stars. Modern science supports the assertion. There was formerly a tradition in the east, that, in the reign of Ogyges, the planet Venus not only changed its colour; but its diameter and its orbit.1 The Pleiades, assuredly, once exhibited to the naked eye seven2 stars instead of six: -Justin relates, that, at the time of the birth of Mithridates, two comets appeared, so large, that the sun was eclipsed in the meridian of his splendour; and that for seventy days they covered the fourth part of the heavens. In the year 218, also, we are told, that

This is no doubt a fable. The Arcadians had a tradition, that their ancestors were older than the moon. In the time of Hezekiah the sun is said to have gone backwards; and in that of Joshua to have stood still.

2 Amos. ch. v. v. 8.-Though the naked eye discovers only six stars in this constellation, the astronomer sees 188;-and 2000 in that of Orion; whereof twelve comprize the single star in the middle of his sword; and 28 the nebulous star in his head. The nebulous star, Præsepe, consists of no less than forty. And how vast the multitude in the various strata of the heavens may, in some measure, be conceived from the circumstance, that 116,000 stars passed over the field of Herschell's telescope within one quarter of an hour!

two other comets appeared; the course of one of which had the wonderful variation of moving from east to west. Olbers has also calculated, that a comet will, after a lapse of 83,000 years approach as near to us as the moon: and that it will gravitate within 7700 geographical miles of the earth in 4,000,000 years, when, if its attraction is equal to that of the earth, the waters of the ocean will rise not less than 13,000 feet!

Since first the penetrating eye of man
Beheld thee* rising o'er the balmy skirts
Of blooming Eden, thou art still the same;
And all now gaze on that, which Adam saw!-
Adam and Moses, Thales, and the man,†
Who first taught Nature to th' astonish'd sons
Of western regions.-Oh! transporting thought!
To think that these unhallow'd eyes have seen
What Adam, Moses, and great Newton saw!—

But all beneath the constant moon decay!-
All change!-all spring from infancy to age;
And at the appointed season of decay,
Melt into dust:-to be reform'd again.

Reform'd in splendour more magnificent,
Than eye has seen, or ear has ever heard!-

And by that power OMNIPOTENT, whose name,
Inscrib'd on all the universe, proclaims

HIM PAST, HIM PRESENT, FUTURE, AND SOLE CAUSE,

SOLE POWER, sole love, solE WISDOM, AND SOLE END!

Hymn to the Moon.

* The Moon.

+ Pythagoras.

CHAPTER VIII.

There is no animal, vegetable, or even mineral, but what sustains increase or diminution of weight every moment. They are either expanded by heat; contracted by cold; or affected by the substances, with which they are combined. It is no proof of the contrary to this position, that many of these changes are neither visible to the human eye; nor sensible to human touch. Animals and vegetables sustain these changes even oftener, than every thousandth part of a second. Gold, platina, and silver are less liable to change than other metals: but even their changes are frequently apparent. The ten simple earths are not only incapable of being analyzed into other bodies ; but they are equally unsusceptible of being converted into each other. They are also incombustible and infusible and they enter into the composition of all substances that fill up the space, beginning with gems, and finishing with the smallest grain of sand. Even these have perpetual increase and diminution. Some minerals impart their virtues without losing any of their sensible weight; but they lose weight nevertheless. It is only insensible to us.

The diamond is the most unchangeable of earthly bodies, when remaining in its quarry; and yet this hardest of all bodies is a combustible substance, and furnishes pure charcoal:-and charcoal itself, the most obstinate of all bodies, may be melted by the gas blowpipe.

The apparent changes in mineral bodies are exceedingly curious and beautiful. If nitric acid is poured on copper filings, the particles of copper will combine with those of the acid, and form a new body, distinct from either.

Mercury will dissolve in vapour in the common temperature of the atmosphere; or be shaken into dust. Iron is burnt by pure oxygen gas; and, when applied to a roll of sulphur, becomes obsequious and pulverizes. Gold and silver may be reduced to a calx; and then reclaimed to their primitive nature and form: and all bodies resolve themselves by chemical analysis into earth, water, salt, sulphur, or mercury. Shells, wherever found, in the sea, in rivers, or on the backs of animals, will ferment with acids and burn into lime.'

Silver is generally found combined with lead, antimony, and sulphur. Copper with many substances; iron mostly with sulphuric and carbonic acids:pyrites with iron and sulphur:-tin with sulphur and copper:-lead with sulphur and silver. Mercury is found among ores, stones, and clay; Nickel with iron and arsenic;-zinc with carbonic and sulphuric acids; -arsenic with iron, gold, and silver; and cobalt with arsenic and sulphuric acids. Of these gold and platina are the most unchangeable ;-they are dissolved by oxygenated muriatic acid;-silver and other metals by nitric acid; and they all burn readily in oxygen gas.

Limestone is formed by a combination of water and carbonic.When a limestone rock appears, therefore, we may rest assured, that water once flowed there. Indeed the whole form and disposition of the earth prove, that it was once in a state of fluidity.