64 SCENERY IN A PATCH 



being joined with the sand upon the sea-shore, as a figure 

 of speech denoting a numeration which we cannot de- 

 fine. The common phrase of the Sacred Yolume, the hosts 

 of heaven, alludes to their multitude ; and the fact is ad- 

 vanced as an illustration of the infinite grasp of the Crea- 

 tor's mind, that he is acquainted minutely with these multi- 

 tudinous worlds, which immeasurably exceed our utmost es- 

 timates. " He calleth them all by names by the greatness 

 of his might, for that he is strong in power ; not one 

 faileth." 



" There is," says Professor Mitchell, in one of his inter- 

 esting lectures, " no limit to the stars. Do they go on, the 

 one behind the other, without end ? I answer, no. Then 

 do you mean to say there is a limit to creation ? I answer, 

 no. I mean to say that the stars are grouped together in 

 mighty clusters of millions and millions, as distant from 

 our clusters as is our sun from their suns. Herschel it 

 was that solved this problem. He commences his investiga- 

 tions by examining the most brilliant part of the Milky Way. 

 He takes a telescope and finds that this spot yields to him 

 one hundred beautiful stars, in the distance appearing the 

 size of hazle-nuts. He takes a greater Telescope four new 

 stars are brought up and the others grow brighter and more 

 beautiful. He takes his forty feet telescope, and he sees all 

 clear, the stars shining like bright diamonds, and in the 

 shade beyond, all is blank. This at once settles the ques- 

 tion. There are no more stars beyond that limit, and, no 

 matter how great the depths, he has overcome them all. But 

 do we stop here P I answer ', no. When Ive have reached the 

 utmost limits of our own mighty clusters, then it is that 

 we begin an investigation of a far different kind. We 

 pass the confines of our own Universe and sweep on 

 through space, millions upon millions of miles, till, look- 

 ing behind, we see the stars that compose our own system, 

 lying in one vast cluster ; but before, all is blank. Is there 



