THE PEACOCK BUTTERFLY. 119 



earth, are historically divided into four distinct 

 periods, namely, first, the theocratic, or period of 

 miracles ; second, the period of the Hippocratic 

 school ; third, the physical, or natural historical ; 

 and, fourth, the atmospherical, or cosmical. 



The first of these periods extends from the com- 

 mencement of history, down to the time of Cicero, 

 the Roman orator. In the second, the admissibility 

 of miracles began to be questioned ; and a belief in a 

 crude and veiled condition of atmospherical and 

 terrestrial moisture began to be prevalent. The third 

 period was commenced by Peiresc of Aix. And the 

 fourth was established by Chladnei, who was afraid of 

 the encroachments of natural historians, in accounting 

 for these phenomena. 



In the first period, we have recorded in the Books 

 of Moses the most ancient accounts of these miracles, 

 that of the blood-coloured water from Egypt, which 

 was an immediate operation of the Almighty, and 

 performed by Moses in the presence of Pharaoh. The 

 Nile became red and fetid, the fishes died, and all the 

 waters of Egypt were changed in the same manner.* 



Homer took advantage of appearances of a similar 

 kind the showers of bloody rain which had been 

 observed previous to, and at his time alluding to 

 them with enlivening effect, and representing them 

 as a direct encroachment of the gods on the established 

 laws of nature. 



The Greek and Roman classics frequently make 



* Exodus, chap. vii. verses 19, 20, 21. 



