34 



nature, reflected upon the mind through the medium of sound^ 

 color and form. From the monotone of the funeral dirge, to the 

 highest notes of joy; from the dark pall that covers the dead, to 

 the light and varied colors of youthful gaiety each degree links 

 with a sympathetic chord in the affections of the mind. And all 

 the higher intellectual impressions of geometrical or mathematical 

 truths, have their counterpart in the regular and invariable laws 

 of all the processes of nature here mind and nature harmonize, 

 all is order, even that which we call pleasing variety, is nothing 

 but extended order and uniformity. Take for instance, the sci- 

 ence of music, and we find it is this very law of uniformity 

 which submits to the strictest rules of mathematical formulae, that 

 creates all the high interest we feel in listening to it, and without 

 which it would be neither science nor music, but mere discord ; 



Let us now descend to the lowest extreme of nature, and take 

 a glance at the elements of matter and motion. 



Matter in its primary state is divided into oxygeneous, ethereal 

 and hydrogeneous elements. The ethereal or neutral element 

 which pervades all space, serves only as a medium for the com- 

 munication of mechanical motion, while the two extremes, the 

 oxygeneous and hydrogeneous, by their relation to each other, 

 become the only agents through which choloric produces its 

 effects in carrying on all the works of material creation. Taking 

 these extremes as the true data, we have the following series : 1st 

 Oxygen, 2d ^Chlorine, 3d Fluorine, 4th Iodine, 5th Tellurium, 

 6th Azote, 7th Carbon, 8th Sulphur, 9th Phosphorus, 10th Boron, 

 llth Sillicon, 12th Metals, 13th Zinchona, 14th Glacina, 15th 

 Alumina, 16th Alkaline Metals, 17th Hydrogen. These inter- 

 mediate substances, placed between oxygen and hydrogen, par- 

 take more or less of the nature of the extremes according to their 

 situation in the series, whether we consider them as actual com- 

 pounds of them, or as mere simple elements. They are 

 arranged here according to the resemblance of their properties, 

 the same as we would arrange the different shades between the 

 extremes of prismatic colors, without stopping to inquire whether 

 all those substances called elementary are included in the range, 



