OF THE MUSCLES. 79 



these as he finds them. His skill and ingenuity are em- 

 ployed in turning them, such as they are to his account, 

 by giving to the parts of his machine a form and relation, 

 in which these unalterable properties may operate to the 

 production of the effects intended. 



VI. The ejaculations can never too often be repeated. 

 How many things must go right for us to be an hour at 

 ease I How many more, to be vigorous and active ! Yet 

 vigour and activity are, in a vast plurality of instances, pre- 

 served in human bodies, notwithstanding that they depend 

 upon so great a number of instruments of motion, and not- 

 withstanding that the defect or disorder sometimes of a very 

 small instrument, of a single pair, for instance, out of the 

 four hundred and forty-six muscles which are employed, 

 may be attended with grievous inconveniency. There is 

 piety and good sense in the following observation taken 

 out of the Religious Philosopher, " With much compas- 

 sion," says this writer, " as well as astonishment at the 

 goodness of our loving Creator, have I considered the sad 

 state of a certain gentleman, who, as to the rest, was in 

 pretty good health, but only wanted the use of these two 

 little muscles that serve to lift up the eyelids, (PI. XIV. fig. 

 I, 2.) and so had almost lost the use of his sight; being 

 forced as long as this defect lasted, to shove up his eyelids 

 every moment with his own hands !" In general we may 

 remark how little those, who enjoy the perfect use of their 

 organs, know the comprehensiveness of the blessing, the 

 variety of their obligation. They [perceive a result, but 

 they think little of the multitude of concurrences and rec- 

 titudes which go to form it. 



Besides these observations, which belong to the muscu- 

 lar organ as such, we may notice some advantages of struc- 

 ture which are more conspicuous in muscles of a certain 

 class or description than in others. Thus, 



The variety, quickness, and precision, of which mus- 

 cular motion is capable, are seen, I think, in no part 

 so remarkable as in the tongue. It is worth any man's 

 while to watch the agility of his tongue ; the wonderful 

 promptitude with which it executes changes of position, and 

 the perfect exactness. Each syllable of articulated sound 

 requires for its utterance a specific action of the tongue, 

 and of the parts adjacent to it. The disposition and con- 

 figuration of the mouth, appertaining to every letter and 

 word, is not only peculiar, but, if nicely and accurately 

 attended to, perceptible to the sight ; insomuch that curious 



