might expatiate on the clouds of Soland geefe 
on the Bafs ijland\ or of Puffins on that of 
Prieftholme : on our filh, and other marine ani¬ 
mals ; on our infeCts, and the various other 
fenfitive productions of this kingdom ; but we 
forbear a parade of ufelefs declamation, and 
only add, as few countries receive more ad¬ 
vantages from their natural breed of quadru¬ 
peds, unmixed with any ravenous creatures, fo 
few can boaft a greater variety of birds, whe¬ 
ther local, or migratory. 
This is a general view of the natural hifto- 
ry of our own country ; why then ftiould we 
negleCt inquiry into the various benefits that 
refult from thefe inftances of the wifdom of 
our Creator, which his divine munificence has 
fo liberally, and fo immediately placed before 
us ? Such a negleCt is certainly highly to be 
blamed, for (to exprefs ourfelves in the words 
of an eminent writer) ££ the Creator did not 
« beftow fo much curiofity, and workmanfhip 
u upon his creatures, to be looked on with a 
“ carelefs incurious eye, efpecially to have them 
« flighted or contemned; but to be admired 
“ by the rational part of the world, to mag- 
“ nify his own power to all the world, and 
“ the ao-es thereof: and fince the works of 
“ the creation are all of them fo many de- 
“ monftrations of the infinite wifdom and 
“ power of God, they may ferve to us, as fo 
<c many arguments, exciting us to a conftant 
“ fear of the Deity, and a fteady and hearty 
<£ obedience to all his laws”. % 
* * • ? 
Much might be added to this fubjeCt, if 
confidered in a theological light; but fince 
the writings of Boyle , Ray , and Derham, 
fully prove that the ftudy of natural hiftory 
enforces the theory of religion and practice 
of morality, we had better refer inquiry to 
their works in general, than mangle them by 
imperfeCt quotations. 
*• * 
* Dirhams Phyf. theol.book XI.c. 2.4. 
To exalt our veneration towards the Al¬ 
mighty, then is the principal end of this fub- 
blime fcience ; and next to that, the various 
benefits refulting from it to human fociety de- 
ferve our ferious confideration. 
To give an obvious inftance : what won¬ 
derful changes have been made in human af- 
fairs by the difcovery of an oblcure mineral. 
The antients, ignorant of the application of 
the magnet, timidly attempted a meer coaft- 
ing navigation ; while we, better informed of 
the ufes of it, traverfe the wideft oceans, and 
by the difcovery of the new world, have layed 
open to fcience, an inexhauftible fund of matter. 
The rife and progrefs of medicine, kept 
pace with the advancement of this ufeful ftu¬ 
dy ; and tho’ neceflity was the parent of the 
mechanic arts, yet they alfo throve, and grew 
to maturity, under the fame influence. 
Many more inftances might be added to 
this brief view of the utility of natural know¬ 
ledge ; but we fhall only give fome of its ufes 
in the polite arts, which have hitherto been 
too little acquainted with it. 
As to painting in particular, its ufes are very 
extenfive : the permanency of colors depends 
on the goodnefs of the pigments; but the 
various animal, vegetable, and foflil fubftances, 
(out of which they are made) can only be 
known by repeated trials ; yet the greateft 
artifts have failed in this refpeCt : the ftiadows 
of the divine Raphael have acquired an uni¬ 
form blacknefs, which obfcures the luftre of the 
fineft productions of his pencil, while the paint¬ 
ings of Holbein, Durer^nd the V ? netian-fchool\ 
(who were admirably ikilled in the knowledge 
of pigments) ftill exift in their primitive frefti- 
nefs. 
But 
