64 MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS. 



the causes of all he sees ; of the moral philosopher, who can 

 investigate the nature of mind, and its adaptation to the ex- 

 ternal world; and of the poet, who unites the powers of each, 

 and communes with the unseen Spirit of the universe ! 



But, while to every well constituted mind the contemplation 

 of genius and the investigation of natural phenomena are 

 highly pleasing ; while we hold converse with the spirits of 

 such men as Shakspeare, Milton, Burns, and others, and feel 

 that they are indeed the friends of man ; we should not forget 

 that, unhappily for mankind, the influence of such minds has 

 been felt to a very limited extent, and that intellect of no mean 

 order_ has degraded itself by lending its power to carry out 

 the very lowest qualities of our nature. Hence has arisen 

 crime of all sorts and degrees ; above all, that wholesale destruc- 

 tion by man of his brethren, known by the name of war. It 

 is a melancholy fact, that while the works of genius have been 

 neglected, military glory has held, and still holds, the highest 

 place in men's estimation, and a love of it is studiously 

 cultivated. 



How many thousand victims have been ofiered up on the 

 altar of ambition ; and what an immensity of misery has the 

 lust of power caused! Yet it is some consolation to know, 

 that this system, from the nature of things, is also advancing 

 towards its end ; and to reflect, that as the progress of know- 

 ledge causes men to think, they will be less easily induced to 

 believe that shedding blood and getting glory are synonymous. 

 They will learn that there is no true glory but what is accom- 

 panied by happiness. Of this, those who have profited by the 

 lavish waste of human life are well convinced, and hence have 

 endeavoured to prevent men from becoming acquainted with 

 their true condition. As well might they command the winds 

 to be hushed, or the waves to be still ; — they could as easily 

 counteract one law of nature as another. The course of truth 

 is also onward. 



But I still wander on ; and though tempted to proceed, will 

 rest here. While to the naturalist I ought, perhaps, to offer 

 some apology for the intrusion of this paper on his notice, I 

 would, to him who is not a naturalist, commend the study of 

 natural history, as affording an inexhaustible fund of mental 

 gratification ; and as an incentive to perseverance, would have 

 him reflect, that, while deriving from it pleasure to himself, 



