Lesson H.] 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 



especial reasons. It is founded upon the career of Thomas Simpson, the celebrated 

 mathematician, who was born in the town of Market- Bosworth, in Leicestershire, in 

 the year 1710. By studying the books given to him by the pedlav-astrologer, the boy 

 i ibled to comprehend many of the laws of nature; and the Blowledge he thus 

 acquired was applied to the daily purposes of life, for Natural Philosophy explains the 

 principles of the various arts which are practised, elevates and improves the mind, and 

 extends man's power over nature. It unfolds to us the magnificence, order, and beauty 

 of construction in the material world, and adduces the most powerful evidence of the 

 wisdom and beneficence of the Creator. It was the knowledge of its laws that enabled 

 Hallam to change the desolate tra|^>f land into a populous and productive district. 

 We can understand the manner ^hich bodies act upon each other, and the reason 

 they do so, by means of its laws ; for example : [Experiment 2,] take a sheet of glass 

 and place some water upon it ; the glass will be wetted. You know this already from 

 daily experience ; but you require to know Natural Philosophy to explain the reason. 

 If we wipe the glass dry, and place some mercury upon it, [Experiment 3,] the same 

 effect is not produced, the glass remains dry ; and Natural Philosophy explains why 

 the glass is differently affected. Suppose we substitute a thin sheet of lead or tin, 

 [Experiment 4,] and use the mercury as we did with the glass, the effect will be 

 different ; the metal plates will be wetted with the mercury, and if there is sufficient 

 mercury, the plates will be dissolved in a short time. Again, take a lump of sugar, 

 [Experiment 5,] and place it upon the glass plate we used a short time ago ; examine 

 it carefully, and you will observe how compact it looks ; place a teaspoonful of water 

 upon the glass and allow it te flow towards the sugar, you see it falls to pieces, and has 

 now disappeared ; and when you know more of Natural Philosophy the reason will be 

 obvious. 



QUESTIONS. 



15. T. From what you have shown re- 

 specting the manner in which some bodies 

 act upon each other, it would appear that 

 the phenomena we have witnessed always 

 happen under similar circumstances, and 

 therefore, that there must be a natural law 

 to govern the action of bodies. Do you 

 think that this is the case? 



Yen, undoubtedly. It is a natural 

 law that bodies always act in the same 

 imiiM-r under the same circumstances, and 



>dy has its own law. Pure water 

 will always dissolve sugar, but does not 

 affect gold in the same manner, because it 

 is not its nature to do so. 



16. T. Do you understand what is 

 meant by a natural law T 



P. It is tl. ..f the 



phrnmnen* < It' we apply heat to 



water it converts the water into steam, cold 

 will not ; thm-fnre we .ty it is a natural 

 law that gov< 1 1 is a natural 



.: all bodies at the earth's sin 



left to themselves, descend in straight lines 

 towards the surface. 



17. T. Do you think that I can dissolve 

 sand in water ? 



/'. No; I know you cannot, because it 

 is contrary to its natural law. 



18. 7\ How have these laws been dis- 

 cover. 



P. By experiments and observ.v 



19. T. What is the use of expei : 



/'. Experiments verify oliserv.it ions and 

 truths, elicit facts, establish i 

 press the principles more strong!. 

 our minds, and exemplify thw .i|>] 

 of gener.il principles to the demonstration 

 of individual facts. 



. rdth.it sail.!. 

 and other bodies .ire insoluble, or 



uith water, you say that 

 it is a natural law that p'"-'"" '> 

 as it would he impossible fo: 

 to observe and experiment upon all (he 

 ii .5 



