220 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



Nature, which fuggefts to Nations the mod fa- 

 vage, not only the idea of a GOD, but that of an 

 infinity of Gods, prefents to the Philofophers of 

 the day only the idea of furnaces, of fpheres, of 

 ftills, and of cryflallizations. 



The Nai'ads, the Sylvans, Apollo, Neptune, Ju- 

 piter, imprefîed upon the Ancients fome refpedl, 

 at leafk, for the Works of Creation, and attached 

 them ft ill farther to their Country by a fentiment 

 of religion. But our machinery deftroys the har- 

 monies of Nature and of Society. The firft is to 

 us nothing but a gloomy theatre, compofed of le- 

 vers, pulleys, weights, and fprings; and the fé- 

 cond merely a fchool for difputation. Thofe fyf- 

 tems, we are told, give exercife to the mental fa- 

 culties. It may be fo ; but may they not likewife 

 miflead the underftanding ? But the heart is in no 

 lefs danger of being depraved. While the head is 

 laying down principles, the heart is frequently 

 deducing confequences. If every thing is thepro- 

 dudion of unintelligent powers, of attrapions, of 

 fermentations, the play of fibres, of maffes, we 

 then are fubjeded to their laws, as all other bodies 

 are. Women and children deduce thefe confe- 

 quences. What, in the mean time, becomes of 

 virtue ? You mufl: fubmit, fay thefe ingenious 

 gentlemen, to the Laws of Nature. So then, we 

 mull obey the power of gravity ; fit down, and 



walk 



