178 FIRE. [Lesson xxviu. 



kind of business, neither would he have the teme- 

 rity to move one foot forwards ? Without fire, 

 which, by the means of candles, lamps, torches, 

 and the like, affords us light in the greatest dark- 

 ness, what difference would there be between our 

 condition, and that of men who should be blind 

 half their life-time ? Without fire, greater part of 

 the productions of the earth which serve mankind 

 for food, for refreshment, or for dainties, would be 

 absolutely unfit for those purposes ; as several of 

 them could neither be chewed by the teeth, nor 

 digested by the stomach. Nay, we may be easily 

 convinced, that neither corn, nor flesh, nor several 

 of the fruits of the ground, nor of trees, would, 

 without the help of fire, be of any service ; but 

 would turn to a crude, unwholesome nourishment. 



Again, would not the dreadful cold of winter, 

 if not moderated by fire, be the mean of dis- 

 peopling whole countries, and of freezing to death 

 myriads of men, women, and children ? And, 

 again, if there were no fire, though the mines of 

 iron, &c. were more numerous than they are, of 

 what utility would they be ; since, without its aid> 

 they could not separate the metal from the ore, nor 

 by any means make those instruments- for agricul- 

 ture, arts, and manufactures, which we now have 

 in such abundance ? 



For the sake of a supposition, let us imagine, 

 that we were in a state, continually without light> 

 without warmth, without any method of preparing 

 raw food for sustenance, without all the conve- 

 niencies, which metals (and principally iron) now 



afford 



