80. 
‘man, Who,can behold. the sedulons 
Ib jur and anxiety of the little birds in 
ipring, as they’prepare, in ecstacy, for 
Ne propagation of their species, with- 
éut “being forcibly impressed with the 
wonderful instinct which actuates their 
Operations? And who, that has seen 
fhe industrious and enduring ant, toil- 
ing, in methodical and unceasing acti- 
vity, during the fruitful days of sum- 
iner, to lay up its little stock of suste- - 
nance for the winter, does not think 
that man, weve his powers as limited, 
could do no more ? 
Yet, notwithstanding the proximity, 
in this respect, of the higher orders of 
animals to the lowest of the human 
species, man is much farther exalted 
above them than they are above those 
animals which follow inthe chain. For 
although many of the higher orders of 
brutes possess a kind of memory, and 
the faculty of reasoning to a certain 
extent—although “ the ox knoweti his 
owner, and the ass his master’s crib,’ — 
yet, unless it be in recollecting their 
dependence on others for food, and a 
few circumstances of a similar nature, 
tending chiefly to the preservation of 
existence—the intellectual powers of 
even the most sagacious of animals are 
extremely circumscribed. We could, 
indeed, adduce many instances of in- 
“stint in animals, which would lead one, 
at first sight, almost to imagine that 
the faculties of the mind are not pecu- 
liar to the human race; but we shall 
reserve further remarks on a subject so 
replete with interest and instruction, 
and direct our attention now to the con- 
sideration of the attributes of the most 
perfect, most elaborate, and most noble 
of God’s works— Man. 
After the world had been formed, 
and beautified with beasts and birds, 
and “ every thing that moveth,” a be- 
ing, superior to all, and of the very 
form and type of the Deity, was created, 
to preside and rule in Paradise. 
** Santtius his animal, mentisque cupacius alte 
Deerat adhuc ; et quod dominari in cetera possct,— 
Natus HOMO est * * * id 
; * * * « * * 
- Pronaque cum spectent animatia cetera tervam 
Os homini sublime dedit, ealumoue tueri 
Jussit, et crectos ad sidera tollere vultus.” 
“A creature of a more exalted kind 
» Was wanting yet, and then was Man design’d: 
Conscious of thought—of more capacious breast— 
For empire form’d, and fit to rile the rest. 
+ ote & * * 
Thus, while the brute creation downward bend 
*Pheir sight, and to their earthy mother tend, 
Man looks aloft, and, with erected eyes - + 
Beholds his own Mereditary skies” 
Gradation of Universal Being—Railways. 
(Aug. 1, 
To this being, so full of power and wis- 
dom, was entrusted the dominion “ over 
all fish of the sea, and over the fowl of 
the air, and over the cattle, “a d over 
all the earth, and over every Thectis 
thing that creepeth on the face of the 
earth ;”” and, in his glory, he lived—a 
wise and majestic mortal. But this 
complete and absolute perfection was 
marred by the fall of our first parents. 
Yet he lost not his proud pre-eminence 
over all other animals—he still had do- 
minion over the earth, and it was yet 
in his power to become supremely bless- 
ed, or irrevocably miserable. 
It is natural to suppose, that to a 
being thus circumstanced, some pre- 
eminent excellence, some peculiar 
power was given, which elevated him 
so far aboye all the minor objects of 
the creation. This distinguishing in- 
heritance, then, is two-fold—I1st. Mind, 
with all its various intuitive powers ; 
and, 2dly. The happy consciousness of 
a future state. 
( To be continued. ) 
——<— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Sir: 
O my remarks in your Magazine for 
April last, p. 216, allow me to add 
the following, for the consideration of 
your numerous readers.—The rail-ways 
hitherto laid down have been constructed 
at the suggestion of individuals for their 
own private convenience, and with aview 
to economy in the expense of horses} 
for, by laying down the rails on inclined 
planes, the loaded waggons are easily 
run down, and the power required to 
return the empty ones is not consi- 
derable: but in the formation of rail= 
ways for national purposes, the engineer 
will not be required to act on the same 
parsimonious principle as the circum- 
scribed limits of the trade or capital of 
an individual must necessarily dictate, 
or, asin a case where the trade is only 
“in one’ direction, like that of the mining 
districts. No expense which might be 
incurred by forming the grand trunk 
rail-ways in direct lines and perfect 
levels could be felt, when we contem- 
ae the millions of tons of merchan- 
ize, as well as the numerous vehicles 
for the daily conveyance of. persons, 
which this improved method apne 
conveyance would annually circulatesin 
each direction, throngh.the very. heart of 
the united kingdom. - . " 
The 
