STUDY XII. 4-II 



what has it's pagoda. If, as fome Philofophers 

 •pretend, we never form a judgment of the nature 

 of things, but from the mechanical refuks of a 

 comparifon with ourfelves, the elevation of moun- 

 tains ought to humiliate our infignificance. But the 

 truth is, that thefe fublime objecls, by elevating 

 us toward Heaven, elevate thither the foul of Man, 

 by the fentiment of infinity ; and, disjoining us 

 from things terreftrial, waft us to the enjoyment 

 of beauties of much longer duration. 



The works of Nature frequently prefent to us 

 feveral kinds of infinity at once : thus, for example, 

 a great tree, the trunk of which is cavernous, and 

 covered with mofs, conveys to us the fentiment 

 of infinity as to time, as well as that of infinity 

 in point of elevation. It exhibits a monument of 

 ages when we did not exift. If to this is added 

 infinity of extenfion, as when we perceive through 

 it's folemn branches, objects prodigioufly remote, 

 our veneration increafes. Go on, and add to all 

 ' thefe, the different ridges of it's mafs, in contraft 

 with the profundity of the valleys, and with the 

 level of the plains; it's venerable half-lights, which 

 oppofe themfelves to, and play with, the azure of the 

 Heavens ; and the fentiment of our own wretch- 

 ednefs, which it relieves, by the ideas of the pro- 

 tection which it affords in the thicknefs of it's 

 £runk, immoveable as the rock, and in it's auguft 



fummit, 



