THE CULTIVATOR. 
83 
Young' Men’s Department. 
THE PLEASURES OF SCIENCE 
[Continued from "page 45.] 
In the third place, science contributes to our enjoyment by the grand 
and sublime objects she presents before us. In consequence of the in¬ 
vestigations which have been made to determine the distances and 
magnitudes of the heavenly bodies, objects of magnificence and 
grandeur are now presented to the view of the enlightened mind of 
which former ages had no conception. These objects are magnifi¬ 
cent in respect of magnitude , of motion, of the vast spaces which inter¬ 
vene between them, and of the noble purposes for which they are destined. 
What a sublime idea, for example, is presented to the view by such 
an object as the planet Jupiter, —a globe 1,400 times larger than 
the world in which we dwell, and whose surface would contain a po¬ 
pulation a hundred times more numerous than all the inhabitants 
that have existed on our globe since the creation! And how is the 
sublimity of such an idea augmented, when we consider that this 
immense body is revolving round its axis at the rate of twenty-eight 
thousand miles in an hour, and is flying, at the same time, through 
the regions of space, twenty-nine thousand miles every hour, carry¬ 
ing along with it four moons, each of them larger than the earth, 
during us whole course round the centre of its motion ! And if this 
planet, which appears only like a luminous speck on the nocturnal 
sky presents such an august idea, when its magnitude and motions 
are investigated, what an astonishing idea is presented to the mind 
when *t contemplates the size and splendor of the sun,—a body which 
would contain within its bowels, nine hundred globes larger than Ju¬ 
piter, and thirteen hundred thousand globes of the bulk of the earth, 
which darts its rays in a few moments to the remotest bounds of 
the planetary system, producing light and colour, and life and vegeta¬ 
tion throughout surrounding worlds ! And how must our astonish¬ 
ment be still increased, when we consider the number of such globes 
which exist throghout the universe ; that within the range of our 
telescopes more than eighty millions of globes, similar to the sun in 
size and in splendor, are arranged at immeasurable distances from 
each other, diffusing their radiance through the immensity of space, 
and enlivening surrounding worlds with their benign influence, be¬ 
sides the innumerable multitudes which, our reason tells us must ex¬ 
ist beyond all that is visible to the eyes of mortals ! 
But the motions, no less than the magnitudes, of such bodies, present 
ideas of sublimity. That a globe* as large as the earth should fly 
through the celestial regions with a velocity of seventy-six thousand 
miles an hour,—that another globef should move at the rate of one 
thousand seven hundred and fifty miles in a minute,and a hundred and 
five thousand miles in an hour,—that even Saturn, with all his as¬ 
semblages of rings and moons, should be carried along his course with 
a velocity of twenty-two thousand miles an hour,—that some of the 
comets, when near the sun, should fly with the amazing velocity of 
eight hundred thousand miles an hour,—that, in all probability, the 
sun himself and all his attending planets, besides their own proper 
motions, are carried around some distant centre at the rate of more 
than sixty thousand miles every hour; and that thousands and mil¬ 
lions of systems are moving in the same rapid maimer, are facts so 
astonishing, and so far exceeding every thing we behold around us on 
the surface of the earth, that tlie imagination is overpowered and 
confounded at the idea of the astonishing forces which are in opera¬ 
tion throughout the universe, and of the power and energy by which 
they are produced ! and every rational being feels a sublime pleasure 
in the contemplation of such objects, which is altogether unknown to 
the ignorant mind. 
The vast and immeasurable spaces which intervene between the 
great bodies of the universe, likewise convey august and sublime 
conceptions. Between the earth and the sun there intervenes a 
space so vast, that a cannon ball, flying with the velocity of five hun¬ 
dred miles an hour, would not reach that luminary in twenty years; 
and a mail-coach moving at its utmost speed, would not arrive at its 
surface in less than twelve hundred years; and, were it to proceed 
from the sun towards the planet Herschel, it would not arrive at 
that body till after the lapse of twenty-two thousand years. And yet 
the sun, at that immense distance, exerts his attractive energy, re¬ 
tains that huge planet in its orbit, and dispenses light and colour, life 
and animation, over every part of its surface. But all such spaces, 
vast as at first sight they appear, dwindle as it were into a span, 
KrSS. * The planet Venus. 
when compared with those immeasurable spaces which are interpos¬ 
ed between us and the regions of the stars. Between the earth and 
the nearest fixed star, a space intervenes so vast and incomprehen¬ 
sible, that a ball flying with the velocity above mentioned, would not 
pass through it in four millions and five hundred thousand years ; 
and as there are stars, visible through telescopes, at least a hundred 
times further distant from our globe, it would require such a body 
four hundred millions of years, or a period 67,000 times greater than 
that which has elapsed since the Mosaic creation, before it could ar¬ 
rive at those distant regions of immensity. 
The grand and noble designs for which the great bodies to which I 
have adverted are intended, suggest likewise a variety of interesting 
and sublime reflections. These designs undoubtedly are,to display the 
ineffable glories of the Eternal Mind,—to demonstrate the immensi¬ 
ty, omnipotence and wisdom of Him who formed the universe,—and 
to serve as so many worlds for the residence of incalculable num¬ 
bers of intelligent beings of every order. And what an immense 
variety of interesting objects is presented to the mind when its views 
are directed to the numerous orders and gradations of intelligence 
that may people the universe,—the magnificent scenes that may be 
displayed in every world,—the moral economy, and the important 
transactions that may have taken place in their history under the 
arrangements of the Divine government! 
Such are some of the scenes of grandeur which science unfolds 
to every enlightened mind. The contemplation of such objects has 
an evident tendency to enlarge the capacity of the soul, to raise the 
affections above mean and grovelling pursuits, to give man a more 
impressive idea of the dignity of his rational and immortal nature, 
j and of the attributes of that Almighty being by whom he is up- 
: held, and to make him rejoice in the possession of faculties capable of 
being exercised on scenes and objects so magnificent and sublime. 
—Dick. 
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 
The life of Benjamin Franklin is one of deep interest to every 
young man who feels ambitious of elevating himself in the ranks of 
society—of acquiring wealth and reputation, and of fulfilling the high 
duties which every citizen owes to the commonwealth. We find 
Franklin at seventeen years of age, entering the streets of Phila¬ 
delphia, three hundred miles from friends and home, a moneyless, 
.friendless stranger, with but a dollar in his pocket, a penny roll 
; under each arm, and making his breakfast from a third which he 
held in his hands. We find him a few years after the master of 
a printing-office, and subsequently filling the highest offices in the 
country, full of knowledge and full of honors, the pride of America, 
and commanding the plaudits of Europe, for his discoveries in sci¬ 
ence, his efforts in behalf of civil liberty, and his unaffected kindness 
to his fellow-men. To show the contrast in the condition of this 
good man, between his early and latter life, we will quote from his 
memoirs, his entrance into Philadelphia, at seventeen, and his ap¬ 
pearance in the British House of Lords at riper years. 
“ I was dirty from my being so long in the boat; my pockets 
were stuffed out with shirts and stockings, and I knew no one, nor 
where to look for a lodging. Fatigued with walking, rowing, and 
the want ot sleep, 1 was very hungry, and my whole stock of cash 
consisted in a single dollar, and about a shilling in copper coin, 
which I gave to the boatman for my passage. At first they refused it 
on account of my having rowed, but I insisted on their taking it. Man 
is sometimes more generous when he has little money, than when he 
has plenty; perhaps to prevent his being thought to have but little. 
1 walked towards the top of the street, gazing about still in Mar¬ 
ket-street, where I met a boy with bread. I had often made a meal 
of dry bread, and inquiring where he bought it, I went immediately to 
the baker’s lie directed me to. I asked for biscuits, meaning such 
as we had in Boston: that sort, it seems, was not made in Philadel¬ 
phia. I then asked for a three-penny loaf, and was told they had 
none. Not knowing the different prices, nor the names of the dif¬ 
ferent sorts of bread, I told him to give me three penny worth of any 
sort. He gave me accordingly three great puffy rolls. I was sur¬ 
prised at the qantitity, but took it, and having no room in my pock¬ 
ets, walked off with a roll under each arm, and eating the other.— 
Thus I went up Market-street, as far as Fourth-street, passing by 
the door of Mr. Reed, my future wife’s father; when she standing 
at the door, saw me and thought I made, as I certainly did, a most 
awkward, ridiculous appearance. Then I turned and went down 
Chesnut-street and part of Walnut-street, eating my roll all the way, 
t The planet Mercury 
