.98 NATURAL HISTORY. 



of such bodies ; and great was his surprise to firrd 

 what he had imagined a very unequal surface, to be 

 smooth and even. He was then shewn a minature 

 portrait of his father, which was contained in his mo- 

 ther's watch-case ; and though lie readily perceived the 

 resemblance, yet he expressed his astonishment, how 

 so large a face could be comprised in so small a com- 

 pass. To him it appeared as strange as that a pint 

 vessel should contain a bush-jl. At first, he could 

 bear but a very small quantity .of light, and he saw 

 every object much greater than the life. But in pro- 

 portion as he observed objects that were really large, he 

 conceived the others to be diminished. Beyond the li- 

 mits of what he saw, he had no conception of any 

 thing. Although he knew that the apartment he oc- 

 cupied was only a part of the house, he could not con- 

 ceive how the latter should seem larger than tiie for- 

 mer. Before the operation he had no great expectation 

 of the pleasure he should receive from the new sense 

 be was promised. That by it he might be enabled to 

 read and write, was his grand object. He said, that 

 he could enjoy no greater satisfaction from walking in 

 the garden, with this sense, than without it ; because 

 there he already walked at his ease, and knew all the 

 walks. With great truth he also observed, that his 

 blindness gave him one advantage over the rest of man- 

 kind ; an advantage which indeed he retained long af- 

 ter he had acquired the sense of seeing ; namely, that 

 of being able to walk in the dark with confidence and 

 security. He no sooner, however, had begun to enjoy 

 this new sense, than he was transported beyond mea- 

 sure ; and he declared that every new object opened 

 to him a fresh source of delight. About a year after, 

 he was carried to Epsom, where there is a beautiful, 



