4 THOUGHTS ON ANIMALCULES. 



with the spirits of the invisible world; the hallowed be- 

 hef of our boyhood, 



Still lingering haunts the greenest spot 

 In memory's waste. 



In such a frame of mind we are unwilling to re- 

 nounce our early faith, and are ready to exclaim, in the 

 eloquent language of Sir Edward Bulwer — " Is there 

 indeed no truth in our fictions of the unseen world? 

 Are there not yet bright lingerers by the forest and the 

 streams ? Do the moon and the soft stars look out on 

 no delicate and winged forms bathing in their light? 

 Are the fairies and the invisible hosts but the children 

 of our dreams, and not their inspiration? Are the 

 chimeras of the passions the sole spirits of the uni- 

 verse? No! the trust in brighter shapes and fairer 

 natures than the world knows of comes clinging to my 

 heart!*" 



But let us pass from the glowing fictions of the poets, 

 to the calm reasoning and cautious inductions of the 

 philosopher : " That there should be more species of 

 intelhgent creatures above us, than there are of sensible 

 and material beings below us, is probable to me from 



; * " The Pilgrims of the Rhine/' by Sir E. Bulwer Lytton, Bart. 



