i88o.] 
745 
The World of the Poets. 
vast weight and density of the atmospheres incumbent upon 
them ?” — and Galileo had even gone further, and declared 
sun spots to he clouds in the sun’s atmosphere. M. Kirch- 
hoff, in order to explain the dark lines in the solar speCtrum, 
— which he severally refers to the absorption of such gaseous 
substances as at the same time emit rays of the same 
quality as they absorb, but of much less intensity,— finds it 
necessary to revert to these older views, which, on their 
part, are in so far corroborated by his terrestrially observed 
fads as the theory which he builds upon them is well 
founded. That such is the case seems to be open to little 
doubt. 
Reviewing the whole of the faCts stated in this paper, 
the ample recognition which Profs. Kirchhoff and Bunsen 
have received for their researches will appear well deserved. 
Yet philosophers may congratulate themselves that disco- 
veries of this nature should have been.brought forward by 
persons of such eminent or distinguished names, . for — 
owing to the openings that they afford to scepticism — if first 
published by some novice they would have been either unduly 
assailed, or, as is not altogether unlikely (for such things 
have happened ere now), perhaps even ignored. 
II. THE WORLD OF THE POETS. 
WRITER in this Journal (1879, p. 271), when dis- 
cussing the question of the perfection of Natuie, 
took occasion to examine some of the views of the 
world and of its constitution which still prevail among men 
of culture. Looking a little farther in the same direction, 
it may be not uninteresting to scrutinise the pictures which 
imaginative writers draw of the world as they would wish 
it to be. It may perhaps strike us as somewhat singular 
that the very class of men who are so ready to pronounce 
Nature perfect, and who can scarcely remain within the 
bounds of ordinary courtesy if anyone venture to maintain 
that a plant or an animal is ugly, —to question the utility ot 
any organic species, — to term certain scenery devoid, of 
beauty, or indeed in any other way to withhold his sweeping 
approval from things as they are, should yet be, on their 
