NATURAL HISTORY. 45 



not be in my power to do more in this advanced 

 stage of my lecture, than to impress on your 

 minds the advantage of making it one of your 

 earliest pursuits. 



In the vegetable kingdom we see an almost 

 indefinite variety of substances, each possessing 

 its own peculiarities and beauties, endowed with 

 organs necessary to its vitality, growth and per- 

 petuation ; clothing and adorning the face of 

 nature, and affording subsistence to a large pro- 

 portion of another very important part of the 

 creation. 



We observe these substances constantly as- 

 suming new appearances, until they have passed 

 through the different states requisite to complete 

 their destiny ; and we can ascertain that they 

 possess the life and the irritability peculiar to 

 other animate substances. But here their attri- 

 butes cease. They posesses no power of loco- 

 motion, but live and die on the spot in which 

 they are placed. 



Endowed only with the common principles of 

 vitality, as far as we can judge, they neither feel 

 when excitants are applied to them, or are con- 

 scious of their existence; but pass through the 

 circle of life, death, an,d renovation in mechani- 

 cal order and uniformity. 



In the animal kingdom, with an endless diver- 

 sity of appearances, circumstances, and move- 

 ments, to fix our attention, or to awaken our 



