408 
Notices of Books, 
fJ uI y» 
instance of the grand simplicity of her character. It is well that 
he was, at once intellectually and morally, not unworthy of such 
a self-sacrifice. 
This memoir will, we are convinced, be found pleasant and 
profitable reading, not by astronomers merely, or even by stu- 
dents of science, but by a much wider public. It will be whole- 
some, in these days of noisy self-glorification, to be brought into 
communion with a mind so pure and elevated as that of Caroline 
Herschel. 
The Natural Foundation of Religion. By James Samuelson. 
London : Longmans, Green, and Co. 
We have here a small, but pithy work, on an important and 
difficult subject. The author, seeking to “ adapt his language 
to the capacity of the large class of intelligent thinkers whose 
daily avocations leave them little time for metaphysical studies,” 
brings forward evidence of the existence of a personal and intel- 
ligent, and we presume consciously intelligent, Deity. His 
method is what is generally known as the Paleyan, or design, 
argument. He considers, in succession, modern doCtrines and 
natural theology, ancient faiths and universal belief, matter and 
force ; how the universe differs from other mechanical con- 
trivances ; the progression of nature ; universal order produced 
by an intelligent will ; the belief in the existence of an ordering 
intelligence practically universal ; the mysterious nature of the 
universal intelligence the cause of extreme unbelief and of un- 
reasoning faith ; the possibility of forming a clear but limited 
conception of the universal intelligence ; evidences of the exist- 
ence of the Deity in nature; protective resemblances ; mechanical 
appliances of inseCts ; correlations of inseCts and plants ; arti- 
ficial and natural selection ; the presence of useful minerals ; 
the negative influence of scientific discovery on religion ; obsta- 
cles to the belief in the Deity from natural evidences ; the 
“ matter and force ” controversies ; the intelligent employment 
of natural forces by man ; the conception of the Deity necessa- 
rily limited, but expansive ; summary of subjects of physical 
research affording evidence of existence and aCtion of the 
Deity ; the study of mankind ; extended scientific knowledge 
beneficial to the cause of religion ; changes in progress ; inter- 
change of thought between clergy and laity ; modern incentives 
to the pursuit of wisdom, 
These topics are handled clearly and fully, as far as the limited 
space will allow. There is a praiseworthy absence of what is 
known as “ padding,” and an amount of candour still more 
praiseworthy. The author is not one of those well-meaning but 
narrow §ouls who pronounce every new view concerning the 
