67 



GENEEAL VIEW OE NATUEE. 



WHEN the mind of man attempts to subject to itself the 

 world of physical phenomena ; when in meditative contem- 

 plation of existing things he strives to penetrate the rich 

 fulness of the life of nature, and the free or restricted opera- 

 tions of naturalpowers; he feels himself raised to a height 

 from whence, as he glances round the far horizon, details 

 disappear, and groups or masses are alone beheld, in which 

 the outlines of individual objects are rendered indistinct as 

 by an effect of aerial perspective. This illustration is 

 purposely selected in order to indicate the point of view from 

 whence we design to consider the material universe, and to 

 present it as the object of contemplation in both its divisions, 

 celestial and terrestrial. I do not blind myself to the boldness 

 of such an undertaking. Under all the forms of exposition 

 to which these pages are devoted, the presentation of a 

 general view of nature is the more difficult, because we must 

 not permit ourselves to be overwhelmed by the development 

 of the manifold and the multiform ; but must dwell only on 

 the consideration of masses, great either by actual magnitude, 

 or by the place which they occupy in the subjective range of 

 ideas. We strive by classification and due subordination of 



