290 The Four Nations. [MARCH, 



science cannot solve all the mysteries which its devotees pretend, there is 

 far more in it than the greater proportion of mankind are willing to 

 allow. 



The greater portion, however, of the character of each nation is to be 

 sought for in its social and political state in its institutions its mode of 

 education its means of employment its religion its internal laws and 

 the habits of its various classes. This is a difficult though a curious sub- 

 ject of inquiry, inasmuch as it is little else than studying a thing through 

 the medium of itself. The same difficulty meets one at the threshold, as 

 one finds at the threshold of political economy, in the doctrine of " supply 

 and demand." We know that these two are connected, and that they 

 reciprocally promote each other; but we are unable to fix upon the one 

 which in all, or even in a majority of cases, is entitled to tho precedence. 

 It is just the same with the institutions of a people and their character. 

 We know from every day's experience, that where the institutions are bad 

 so also is the character, and that the character is good where they are 

 good ; but we cannot lay it down as a general principle that the good insti- 

 tutions briginally made a good people, neither are we warranted to go en- 

 tirely into the opposite hypothesis. Still, however, the passing generation 

 must be materially influenced by the circumstances alluded to : and there- 

 fore it may not be amiss in a subsequent paper to throw together a few con- 

 jectures as to how far education, employment, opinion, intellectual state, 

 and political condition may go toward forming the peculiarities of charac- 

 ter which distinguish the Four Nations. 



X. 



THE ASTROLOGER'S HYMN. 



' Ye stars ! which are the poetry of heaven 

 If in your bright leaves we would read the fate 



Of men and empires 'tis to be forgiven " 



CMlde Harold, Canto iii. 



TELL me, oh ! ye Stars of Heaven- 

 Countless fires that flame on high ! 

 Tell me, if to ye 'tis given 

 To rule our mortal destiny ? 

 Is the colour of our days 



From your beams mysterious caught? 

 Are the wand'rings of our ways 

 By your evolutions wrought ? 

 Tell me tell me as ye roll 

 Our changeful fate can ye control ? 

 Ye Stars of Heaven! 



When lone I gaze the livelong night, 

 When ye on high are gleaming 

 Watching your pale prophetic light 

 Athwart the darkness streaming 



Then gath'ring thoughts across my soul, 



Like troubled waves, flow darkly on 

 Creating fancies as they roll, 



Wild as the scene I gaze upon ; 

 For then I deem ye can bestow 

 On mortal man or weal or woe 

 Ye Stars of Heaven! 



