124 MECHANICAL RESOURCES. 



The song passed away, and the poor man is gone 



Unto others to tell the sad story, 

 How the bride of his youth — woe for him — that loved one 



Hath long been a saint in her glory : - 



And haply, like her, they shall deck thee the more 



When thy smile glows a sunshine of beauty. 

 Those tear-drops that fell for the wandering poor 



Who begged for Love, Honour and Duty. 



MECHANICAL RESOURCES. 



It has been frequently asserted, and is still dwelt 

 upon by many thinking persons, that the greatness of 

 this country depends upon its trade, the trade upon its 

 manufactures, and the manufactures upon its steam 

 engines ; and therefore, that when the supply of coals 

 for those engines becomes scanty and dear, the country 

 must decline. 



It may, however, be questioned whether our re- 

 sources are so entirely buried in the coal pits as these 

 persons imagine. Invention is said to be the child of 

 necessity ; but it has certainly also another parentage. 

 Invention is the offspring of enterprise, and enterprise 

 o^ freedom ; and few will deny that the liberties of this 

 country are as widely expanded and as firmly based as 

 ever. It seems, indeed, fully justifiable to say, that in 

 both respects they have gamed : and enterprise and 

 invention seem to proceed hand in hand with them. 

 When these shall fail, the nation will sink, though the 

 coal mines should still have a reserve supply for a 

 century. 



But without new discovery ; supposing our coals to 

 fail ; have we yet made the most of the already known 

 resources of mechanical power ? The wind does little 

 more, in England, than shake the trees : on the sea it 

 is all availing for us ; but on the land we may travel 

 for days together without seeing even one humble 

 windmill. And when we do find one, the force is ap- 



