214 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



of the bones and the brain adjusted, the child 

 when it fell must have lain insensible, instead of 

 rising and crying more from terror than the sense 

 of injury. 



We may contrast this condition of the child 

 with that of an old man losing his balance and 

 falling on his head, who lies insensible from the 

 shock. Is it not apparent that there is here a cal- 

 culation of the accidents of life, and a provision 

 against them, which yet leaves us threatened with 

 danger, and, therefore, on our guard ? 



The difference in the textures of youth and age 

 are instructive as to the causes of the diversity. 

 The brain of the old man is firm ; the vibration 

 injures its fibre. The brain of the child is soft, 

 and in infancy it may be moulded to any shape. 

 Then, again, the texture of the bone is entirely 

 diflferent, and hardly like the same substance. It 

 is thin and pliant in the child, actually dimpled by 

 a blow ; whilst in age it is brittle from its density, 

 and the vibration of the blow runs round it ; or if 

 it be broken, it is like a piece of sharp glass en- 

 tering the tender parts beneath. 



Much m.ore than will stand inquiry has been 

 said of the forms of the head, in reference to the 

 contained organs ; but there is a simple demonstra- 

 tion which should precede all this ; the forms of 

 the skull bear a relation to pressure and injury 

 from without, and the parts most exposed are 

 most protected. A man falling backwards has 

 the back of his head exposed to injury; and the 



