LITERARY AND SCIKNTtFlC. 293 



we feel and ttiovfe,-— it is not for the low pleasures of sense, which soott pall, and 

 finally perish — it is that opportunity may be g^iven to us, in a life limited with a view 

 to such es[)ecial purpose, to improve to a certain extent the thitiking faculties and 

 the higher ifistinvts which distinj^uish man from all animals. 



" We move in a f^rand procession, which beg^an at man*s creation ; but the end 

 of which is invisible. We take up the work of mind as others left it : we leave it 

 for others to take up, whose life is beginning : the workmen change, the work 

 proceeds. 



" But we believe, perhaps, that the mind has been improving ; that our thoughts 

 and feelings fuwe been somewhat purified and raised ; that the waywardness of 

 youth, and the inexperience of early life, have been succeeded by wise and noble and 

 calm aspirations : and thus, although we acknowledge the humility of this bodily 

 frame, we do not behold its sure and silent decline without a beUef that somethinj* 

 which is within us, and by which this is felt, cannot all die. So that no change iii 

 this eventful and mysterious life is wholly desolating. 



" To such conclusions, which must form a strong guard against any habitual 

 course of self-degradation, the student of Natural History must always be especially 

 led ; and if there were no other recommendation of it, surely this would be sufficient. 



" But the capacity of applying to such a study, and of coming to such ennobling 

 conclusions, is the privilege of man alone. The faithful dog which follows him, the 

 beasts which graze or ruminate, the birds and insects which pursue their food 

 through the air, the lion which commands the forest, and the whales which multiply 

 in the vast depths of the sea, — live and die unconscious of all except the httle circle 

 of their own wants or fears. For them the earth blooms and the stars shine in vain, 

 unnoted and unadmired ; they know nothing of the universe, they cannot raise their 

 limited thoughts to adoration of Him who viade the heavens and the earth. 



" It has pleased the Great Creator in whom we all live and move to constitute u* 

 differently ; to reveal something of his sublime nature to us in his works. There we 

 read his wisdom, and there his benevolence ; there his unchangeableness, there his 

 paternal care of all that he has created. From the same perusal, whilst we learn 

 those facts which constitute all science, man's intellect becomes exercised, and he 

 raises himself above an animal of prey, becomes social and enlightened, and ascends 

 by degrees to different gradations of social and individual happiness ; which, already, 

 in our imperfect science, and imperfect morals, so much raised above the happiness 

 of the wandering savage, is destined, perhaps, even in this slate of existence, by the 

 successive advance of all knowledge in coming ages, to rise to a height to us 

 immeasurable, and almost inconceivable. 



" Still, I would avoid pushing observations of this kind to extravagance. So long 

 as man is constituted of this frame to which our attention has been directed, must 

 the greatest happiness and highest wisdom of which he is capable be imperfect ;— 

 nay even poor and low, compared with that purer bliss and more exalted knowledge 

 to which his inmost instinct and an express revelation has taught his thoughts for 

 ever to aspire." 



We have thus given the outline of this lecture as fully as possible. 

 The well-known talents of the lecturer, as might have been anticipated, 

 drew together the greatest portion of the intellectual residents of the 

 county and city — and highly excited as might have been their expec- 

 tations, we venture to assert that they were not disappointed. Nothing 

 could exceed the fixed attention of the auditors — and we all know that 

 to rivet the undivided attention for any length of time is utterly 

 impracticable unless the embellishments of fancy and the fire of genius 

 be added to the ratiocination of learning. These were so well 

 blended by the able lecturer, that he must have been a cynic indeed 

 who could have failed to participate in tJie general feeling of gratification. 

 The usual vote of thanks was proposed by Captain Winnington, M.P., 

 and seconded by the Very Rev. the Dean of St. Asaph, with the 

 unanimous concurrence of the delighted hearers. 



