1793' on the study of natural history* 285 



foot of Jupit r's chair or perceive. '■ hat philoso- 



phy, like Jacobus •vision, discovers to us a ladder 

 whose top reaches to the footstool of the throne of 

 God." 



Now by confining yourself, my dear Alathea, to 

 some one favountt pursuit, as that of some branch 

 of natural history, as you now seem disposed, you 

 may avoid that flimsy state of knowledge, which is so 

 dangerous a thing, and has been so emphatically as 

 well as morally sung by our famous Englilh poet of 

 Twickenham. 



As examples of the benefit to be derived from an 

 attentive observation of appearances in nature, that 

 at first sight might be regarded as trivial and in- 

 significant, I {hall mention a few for your amuse- 

 ment and instruction. 



But before I open this little budget, I must ob- 

 serve that in the whole history of human science, 

 you will find scarce any valuable discovery owing 

 to theory or analogy, and almost every useful art or 

 science owing to patient observation, repeated expe- 

 riment, and comparison. 



As a signal proof of this, reflect for a moment 

 that Greece and Italy in their utmost glory of re- 

 finement were ignorant that water in pipes rose to its 

 level ; and from the want of th:s knowledge were 

 forced to supply their cities with water by means 

 of immense aqueducts, carried in many cases acrofs 

 rivers and mountains at an incredible expence *. 



* There are reasons to believe that they were not so totally unac- 

 quainted with the art of making water run in pipes as the ingenious 



