London to John O" Groat's. 143 



the deck-lights of the Ark. It was a gift and a glory 

 that well rewarded the science and genius of Newton 

 and Herschel, of Adams and Le Verrier, that they 

 could ladder these mighty perpendicular distances, 

 and climb the rounds to such heights and sweeps of 

 observation, and count, measure, and name orbs and 

 orbits before unknown, and chart the paths of their 

 rotations, and weigh them, as in scales, while in 

 motion. But this ^-astronomer, whose observatory 

 in his conservatory, whose telescope and fluxions are 

 his trowel and watering-pot, not only brings to 

 light the hidden life of a thousand earth-stars, but 

 changes their forms, colors their rays, half creates 

 and transforms, until each differs as much from its 

 original structure and tinting as the planet Jupiter 

 would differ from its familiar countenance if Adams or 

 Le Verrier could make it wear the florid face of Mars. 

 This man, and it is to be hoped that he carries some 

 devout and grateful thoughts to his work sets Nature 

 new lessons daily in artistry, and she works out the new 

 ideals of his taste to their joint and equal admiration. 

 He has got up a new pattern for the fern. She lets 

 him guide her hand in the delicate operation, and she 

 crimps, fringes, shades or shapes its leaflets to his will, 

 even to a thousand varieties. He moistens her fingers 

 with the fluids she uses on her easel, and puts them to 



