LETTERS TO BROTHER JOHN. 



and that these same muscles attached to the outside 

 of the statue were a terrible disfigurement of its 

 external beauty and symmetry. To remedy this 

 evil, it would be necessary to scoop and pare down, 

 and hollow out, different parts of the image, and 

 then to fill up these hollows with his muscles ; and 

 thus restore those parts, which had been so cut 

 down, to their original size, and again bring his 

 image to its former shape and dimensions. But still 

 he would find, notwithstanding his muscles, that his 

 statue could not yet move, any more than a steam- 

 engine can move merely because it has ivheels, 

 unless there be some power to set those wheels in 

 motion. Hence would arise the third idea of the 

 series that of a brain and nerves, whose office it 

 is to afford motive power to the muscles, which 

 are of themselves only motive instruments. This 

 motive power is to the muscles which are, in fact, 

 only so many levers what the mechanic's hand is 

 to the pulleys, wheels, &c. : it sets them in motion, 

 and keeps them moving. And here, again, he 

 would be obliged to hollow out another portion of 

 the bone, in order to make room for the brain and 

 spinal marrow, so that their attachment might not 

 destroy the symmetry of his image. The nerves, 

 which arise from the brain and spinal marrow, like 



