OF THE MUSCLES. 
79 
quality of his materials, or their laws of action. He takes 
these as he finds them. His skill and ingenuity are em¬ 
ployed in turning them, such as they are, to his account, 
by giving to the parts of his machine a form and relation, 
in w hich these unalterable properties may operate to the 
production of the effects intended. 
VI. The ejaculations can never too often be repeated;— 
How many things must go right for us to be an hour at 
ease! how many more, to be vigorous and active! Yet 
vigor and* activity are, in avast plurality of instances, pre¬ 
served in human bodies, notwithstanding that they depend 
upon so great a number of instruments of motion, and not¬ 
withstanding that the defect or disorder sometimes of a very 
small instrument, of a single pair, for instance, out of tho 
four hundred and forty-six muscles which are employed, 
may be attended with grievous inconveniency. There is 
piety and good sense in the following observation taken 
out of the Religious Philosopher: “With much compas¬ 
sion,’’says this writer, “as well as astonishment at the 
goodness of our loving Creator, have I considered the sad 
state of a certain gentleman, who, as to the rest, was in 
pretty good health, but only wanted the use of these two 
Utile muscles that serve to lift up the eyelids, [PI. XIV. fig. 
1, 2,] and so had almost lost the use of his sight, being 
forced, as long as this defect lasted, to shove up his eyelids 
every moment with his own hands!” In general we may 
remark, how little those who enjoy the perfect use of their 
organs, know the comprehensiveness of the blessing, the va¬ 
riety of their obligation. They perceive a result, but they 
think little of the multitude of concurrences and rectitudes 
which go to form it. 
Besides these observations, which belong to the muscu¬ 
lar organ as such, we may notice some advantages of struc¬ 
ture, which are more conspicuous in muscles of a certain 
class or description than in others. Thus: 
I. The variety, quickness, and precision, of which mus¬ 
cular motion is capable, are seen, I think, in no part 
so remarkable as in the tongue. It is worth any man’s 
while to watch the agility of his tongue; the wonderful 
promptitude with which it executes changes of position, and 
the perfect exactness. Each syllable of articulated sound 
requires for its utterance a specific action of the tongue, 
and of the parts adjacent to it. The disposition and con¬ 
figuration of the mouth, appertaining to every letter and 
word, is not only peculiar, but, if nicely and accurately 
attended to, perceptible to the sight; insomuch, that curious 
