76 MechaJikal Philosophy. 



known a multitude of important facts. It is also 

 a remarkable characteristic of the age, that every 

 branch of natural philosophy has been invest!-^ 

 gated in modern times, in a more pracfical man- 

 ner than ever before, and more extensively and 

 generally applied to purposes of economy and the 

 ai^ts. While the explorers of science have gratified 

 liberal curiosity, and gained reputation for them- 

 selves, their inquiries have been rendered subser- 

 vient to the abridgment of labour ; the increase 

 "both of expedition and elegance of workmanship, 

 in manufactures ; and the promotion of human com- 

 fort, to a degree beyond all former precedent. In 

 short, the number of heads and of hands at work, 

 in the various departments of mechanical philoso- 

 phy, at the close of the century under considera- 

 tion, was unquestionably much greater than ever 

 before since science was an object of human study. 

 That much further, and more satisfactory light, 

 therefore, may be expected to break in upon us, at 

 no great distance of time, on many points at pre- 

 sent involved in darkness, can hardly be doubted. 

 *' But the subject," says an eloquent writer, " is 

 *^ still greater than our exertions, and must for ever 

 ^' mock the efforts of the human race to exhaust 

 *' it. Well did Lord Bacon compare natural phi- 

 *' losophy to a pyramid; its basis is indeed the his- 

 ^' tory of nature, of which we know a little, and 

 ^^ conjecture much; but its top is, without doubt, 

 " hid high among the clouds. It is the work which 

 *^ God zvorketh from the beginning to the endy in- 

 ^^ finite and inscrutable!"^ 



I Bishop Watson's Chemical Essays, vol. i. p. 15. 



