144? TPE PHitOSOPHT 



admiration of every beholder. It's plains and mountains, its 

 rivers and lakes, its iflands and continents, its leas and oceans, 

 continually folicit attention, gratify curioiity, and call forth 

 the powers of reafon and refledlion. But, when compared 

 to the other heavenly bodies, the number and m.agnitude of 

 which exceed all the po^vers of human conception, the gran- 

 deur of our earth diminifhes. Inftead of exciting wonder, 

 it almoft vanifhes from our fight. Initead of an immenfe 

 globe, it dwindles into a point, feems to occupy nofpace, and 

 lofes itfelf in the boundlefs regions of the univerfe, Con- 

 iiderations of this kind are apt to deprefs the dlrnity of 

 man, and to lelTen his importance in the great fcaie of be- 

 ing ; but they expand his mental faculties, and exalt his 

 ideas concerning that inconceivable Power which firft pro- 

 duced, and {lUI fupports, thofe aflonifiiing orbs. 



The diiTerent movements to which animals are ftimulated 

 by the deiire of food, by love, by the appetite for frolic and 

 exercifc, by their hoftilities, and by other exciting caufes, 

 give animation and vivacity to the whole fcene of nature. 

 A filent and motionlefs profpe<Sl, however beautiful and va- 

 riegated, foen ceafes to pleafe, and at laft becomes infupport- 

 able. Motion, fays Mr. Harris, is the object or caufe of all 

 fenfation. In muiic we hear it ; in favours we tafte it ; in 

 odors vye fmeU it ; in touch we feel it ; in light we fee it. 



Animals furnifhed with deftru6live weapons, or endowed 

 with uncommon ftrength, courage, 'or ingenuity, are propor- 

 tionally flower in their movements than the weaker kinds. 

 The fame remark Is applicable to thofe fpecies whofe food is 

 always at hand. Worms, caterpillars, and many other in- 

 fects, in order to procure nourifhment, are under no neceffi- 

 ty of taking an extenfive range. But the motions of birds 

 attd fillies are extremely rapid ; becaufe, in quefl of food, 

 they are obliged to pafs through large tracks, and they have 

 ^Ifp many energies to avoid. 



