STUDY IX. 



249 



to take the advantage of this weaknefs of mankind, 

 by infolding herfelf in a pompofity of words, or 

 in the myfteries of Geometry, the better to carry 

 on the deception. For how many ages did flie 

 ring in our fchools, the horror of a vacuum which 

 flie afcribed to Nature ? How many fagacious 

 pretended demonftrations of this have been given, 

 which were to crown their authors with never- 

 fading laurels, but which are now gone to the 

 land of forgetfulnefs ? 



She difdains, on the other hand, to dwell on 

 fimple obfervations, which bring down to the level 

 of every capacity, the harmonies which unite all 

 the kingdoms of Nature. For example, the Phi- 

 lofophy of our day refufes to the Moon all influ- 

 ence over vegetables and over animals. It is, ne- 

 verthelefs, certain, that the moft confiderable 

 growth of plants takes place in the night-time; 

 nay, that there are feveral vegetables which flower 

 only during that feafon ; that numerous clafl^es of 

 infedls, birds, quadrupeds, and fiflies, regulate 

 their loves, their hunting matches^ and their pere- 

 grinations according to the different phafes of the 

 orb of night. But what, degrade Philofophers 

 to the experience of gardeners and fifliermen ! 

 What, condefcend to think and talk like fuch 

 groundlings ! 



If 



