COSMOS 



A. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OP THE UNIVERSE. 



INCITEMENTS TO THE STUDY OF NATURE. 



Action of the external world on the imaginative faculty, and the 

 reflected image produced Poetic descriptions of nature Land- 

 scape painting Cultivation of those exotic plants which determine 

 the characteristic aspect of the vegetation in the countries to which 

 they belong. 



WE now pass from the domain of objects to that of sensa- 

 tions. The principal results of observation, in the form in 

 which, stripped of all additions derived from the imagi- 

 nation, they belong to a pure scientific description 

 of nature, have been presented in the preceding volume. 

 "VVe have now to consider the impression which the image 

 received by the external senses produces on the feelings, 

 and on the poetic and imaginative faculties of mankind. 

 An inward world here opens to the view, into which we desire 

 to penetrate, not, however, for the purpose of investigating 

 as would be required if the philosophy of art were our aim 



