40 'jiii: YI;AK. 



proved to be the source of all the caloric and all the 

 light, that is any where to be met with in the solar 

 system, wherever these may have become latent, or 

 by whatever means they may again be elicited. 



There is yet another sense to' be gratified another 

 inlet through which instruction and pleasure may 

 come to the mind. The volleying of the thunder, the 

 booming of the wind, the roar of the waters, the buz- 

 zing of the fields, the music of the groves, the moan of 

 pity, the song of joy, the word of consolation, the 

 voice of instruction, the witchery of music, the power 

 of command, the crowd-commanding periods of the 

 orator, the hymn of gratitude and of praise, sound in 

 all its variety, the voice of man in all its charms and 

 all its wisdom, where would these be, were it not for 

 that wonderful fluid which is now the song of the night- 

 ingale, and anon the voice of the thunder and the de- 

 struction of the hurricane, which is now the din of 

 battle, and anon the proclamation of peace, which is 

 insult or information, grief or joy, applause or, doom, 

 according as it is differently put in motion ! But there 

 is no end of the uses of the atmosphere and the sun ; 

 for we can mention very few natural substances into 

 which the one or other of its component parts does not 

 enter, and very few natural phenomena in which the 

 agency of both is not either directly or indirectly pre- 

 sent. Our business, however, is not, at present, with 

 the recondite part of the subject ; we are to follow the 

 apparent annual path of the sun, and point out how 

 that influences the appearances of the seasons. 



The most simple and convenient way of getting a 

 clear view of that is to begin at one of the midsummer, 



