RELATIONS OF THE NATURAL SCIENCES. | 5 
of the inorganic world, or in other words, its natural philosophy, includes in its scope at 
once theoretical astronomy and theoretical geology or geogeny. 
The two-fold division which has been adopted in the scientific class of our new society 
does not correspond to that which we have just set forth; namely, of Natural History on 
the one hand and Natural Philosophy on the other; nor yet, as might at first seem to be 
the case, to the more familiar distinction between inorganic and organic nature. Our Sec- 
tion III. has been made to embrace, it is true, much both of the natural history and the 
natural philosophy of the inorganic world, including besides physic and chemistry, both 
descriptive and theoretical astronomy, and mineralogy. This same section has also been 
made to include mathematic, which in itself, does not belong to the domain of natural 
science, though in its applications it becomes an indispensable instrument in the study of 
nature, whether we investigate the phenomena of physic or of chemistry, or seek to com- 
prehend the laws which regulate alike the order of the celestial spheres, the shapes of 
crystals, and the forms of vegetation. 
* Section IV. on the other hand, in its department of biology, includes alike the Natural 
History and the Natural Philosophy of the vegetable and the animal kingdoms. In this 
same section has, however, been included what we call geology, which is not a separate 
science, but the application alike of mathematic and of all the natural sciences to the 
elucidation of both the physiography and the physiology of our planet. So far as 
geology concerns itself with the history of past life on the earth, or what is called pale- 
ontology, it is biological, but in all its other aspects the relations of geology are with 
Section III. The logical result of this complex character of geology should be either the 
separation of paleontology from the other branches of geological study, which find their 
appropriate place in our Section IT, or else the union of the two sections through this 
their common bond. 
It will be noticed that in this brief survey of the field of natural knowledge I have 
not spoken of the technical applications of science, nor alluded to its important aspects in 
relation to the material wants of life. On this theme, did time permit, I might speak at 
length. There are two classes of motives which urge men to the pursuit of knowledge ; 
on the one hand, those of worldly fame or profit, and on the other, the far nobler senti- 
ment which has the finding-out of truth for its object. It would seem as if by a spiritual 
law, the great principles which are most fruitful in material results are not revealed to 
those who interrogate nature with these lower ends in view. Newton, Darwin, Faraday, 
Henry, and such as they, were not inspired by a desire for the praise of men, or for pecu- 
niary reward, but pursued their life-long labors with higher motives,—the love of truth 
for its own sake, the reverent desire to comprehend the hidden laws and operations of the 
universe. To such, and to such alone, does nature make herself known. In the material as 
in the moral order, the promise of achievement is given to those who strive after knowledge 
and wisdom irrespective of the hope of temporal reward; and the history of science 
shows that it is such seekers as these who have attained to the discovery of those secrets 
which have been of the greatest benefit to humanity. The admonition is to all, that we 
are to seek first for truth and for justice, and with this comes the promise that to those 
who thus seek all other things shall be superadded. 
It is good and praiseworthy to labor to extract the metal from the ore, and the healing 
