74 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



who in Scotland have lately propounded the monstrous 

 theory that the depreciation of railway scrip is a conse- 

 quence of railway travelling on Sundays. Let them 

 not, as far as you are concerned, libel the system of 

 nature with their ignorant hypotheses. Looking from 

 the solitudes of thought into this highest of questions, 

 and seeing the puerile attempts often made to solve it, 

 well might the mightiest of living Scotchmen that 

 strong and earnest soul, who has made every soul of 

 like nature in these islands his debtor well, I say, 

 might your noble old Carlyle scornfully retort on such 

 interpreters of the ways of Grod to men : 



The Builder of this universe was wise, 



He formed all souls, all systems, planets, particles ; 



The plan he formed his worlds and ^Eons by, 

 Was Heavens ! was thy small nine-and-thirty articles ! 



