THE SENSES. 239 



All the sights and sounds that fill the world with 

 beauty and harmony are conveyed to us by their 

 means, nor can we sufficiently admire the goodness, 

 which has so wonderfully provided them as things 

 of necessity, and which has, at the same time, 

 made them the sources of so much pleasure and 

 instruction. 



The organs of our senses are supplied with 

 nerves from certain parts of the brain, which nerves 

 convey the feelings made upon them from with- 

 out, and are found in no other part of the body. 

 Thus, the olfactory nerve serves the nose, and 

 gives it the sense of smell. This sense is enjoyed 

 by this organ alone ; and if the nerve is destroyed 

 the sense is lost, none of the other nerves being 

 able to convey a similar impression ; and the same 

 with the eye the ear and the tongue. 



Four of our senses are confined to small spaces, 

 but that of touch or feeling is extended over the 

 whole body, though it is enjoyed in much greater 

 perfection by some parts than by others. The 

 hand, and especially the fingers, have a most deli- 

 cate and nice sense of touch. In these the skin 

 is thin, and they are plentifully furnished with 

 nerves. 



Habit will, however, render them almost insen- 

 sible; blacksmiths and others, who are always 

 handling very hard substances, and lifting heavy 

 hammers, can for a short time even bear fire with- 

 out feeling it. This want of feeling is owning to 

 the epidermis, or scarf skin, becoming thick and 



