thoughts on man-第55章

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e　sun　itself　should　not　be　inhabited＇75＇。〃

＇75＇　Brinkley；　Elements　of　Astronomy；　Chap。　IX。


There　is　certainly　no　end　to　the　suppositions　that　may　be　made　by　an　ingenious　astronomer。　　May　we　not　suppose　that　we　might　do　nearly　as　well　altogether　without　the　sun；　which　it　appears　is　at　present　of　little　use　to　us　as　to　warmth　and　heat？　　As　to　light；　the　great　creator　might；　for　aught　we　know；　find　a　substitute；　feelers；　for　example；　endued　with　a　certain　acuteness　of　sense：　　or；　at　all　events；　the　least　imaginable　degree　of　light　might　answer　every　purpose　to　organs　adapted　to　this　kind　of　twilight。　　In　that　way　the　inhabitants　of　the　Georgium　Sidus　are　already　sufficiently　provided　for；　they　appear　to　have　as　little　benefit　of　the　light　as　of　the　heat　of　the　sun。　　How　the　satellites　of　the　distant　planets　are　supplied　with　light　is　a　mystery；　since　their　principals　have　scarcely　any。　　Unless　indeed；　like　the　sun；　they　have　a　luminous　atmosphere；　competent　to　enlighten　a　whole　system；　themselves　being　opake。　　But　in　truth　light　in　a　greater　or　less　degree　seems　scarcely　worthy　of　a　thought；　since　the　inhabitants　of　the　planet　Mercury　have　not　their　eyes　put　out　by　a　light；　scarcely　inferior　in　radiance　to　that　which　is　reflected　by　those　plates　of　burning　brass；　with　which　tyrants　in　some　ages　were　accustomed　to　extinguish　the　sense　of　vision　in　their　unfortunate　victims。　　The　comets　also　must　be　a　delectable　residence；　that　of　1680　completing　its　orbit　in　576　years；　and　being　at　its　greatest　distance　about　eleven　thousand　two　hundred　millions　of　miles　from　the　sun；　and　at　its　least　within　less　than　a　third　part　of　the　sun's　semi…diameter　from　its　surface＇76＇。　　They　must　therefore　have　delightful　vicissitudes　of　light　and　the　contrary；　for；　as　to　heat；　that　is　already　provided　for。　　Archdeacon　Brinkley's　postulate　is；　that　these　bodies　are　〃possessed　by　rational　beings；　and　contain　animals　and　vegetables；　little　different　from　those　with　which　we　are　familiar。〃

＇76＇　Ferguson；　Section　93。


Now　the　only　reason　we　have　to　believe　in　these　extraordinary　propositions；　is　the　knowledge　we　possess　of　the　divine　attributes。　　From　the　force　of　this　consideration　it　is　argued　that　God　will　not　leave　any　sensible　area　of　matter　unoccupied；　and　therefore　that　it　is　impossible　that　such　vast　orbs　as　we　believe　surround　us　even　to　the　extent　of　infinite　space；　should　not　be　〃richly　stored　with　rational　beings；　the　capable　witnesses　of　his　power；　magnificence　and　benevolence。〃　　All　difficulties　arising　from　the　considerations　of　light；　and　heat；　and　a　thousand　other　obstacles；　are　to　give　way　to　the　perfect　insight　we　have　as　to　how　the　deity　will　conduct　himself　in　every　case　that　can　be　proposed。　　I　am　not　persuaded　that　this　is　agreeable　to　religion；　and　I　am　still　less　convinced　that　it　is　compatible　with　the　sobriety　and　sedateness　of　common　sense。

It　is　with　some　degree　of　satisfaction　that　I　perceive　lord　Brougham；　the　reputed　author　of　the　Preliminary　Discourse　to　the　Library　of　Useful　Knowledge；　at　the　same　time　that　he　states　the　dimensions　and　distances　of　the　heavenly　bodies　in　the　usual　way；　says　not　a　word　of　their　inhabitants。

It　is　somewhat　remarkable　that；　since　the　commencement　of　the　present　century；　four　new　planets　have　been　added　to　those　formerly　contained　in　the　enumeration　of　the　solar　system。　　They　lie　between　the　planets　Mars　and　Jupiter；　and　have　been　named　Vesta；　Juno；　Ceres　and　Pallas。　　Brinkley　speaks　of　them　in　this　manner。　　〃The　very　small　magnitudes　of　the　new　planets　Ceres　and　Pallas；　and　their　nearly　equal　distances　from　the　sun；　induced　Dr。　Olbers；　who　discovered　Pallas　in　1802；　nearly　in　the　same　place　where　he　had　observed　Ceres　a　few　months　before；　to　conjecture　that　they　were　fragments　of　a　larger　planet；　which　had　by　some　unknown　cause　been　broken　to　pieces。　　It　follows　from　the　law　of　gravity；　by　which　the　planets　are　retained　in　their　orbits；　that　each　fragment　would　again；　after　every　revolution　about　the　sun；　pass　nearly　through　the　place　in　which　the　planet　was　when　the　catastrophe　happened；　and　besides　the　orbit　of　each　fragment　would　intersect　the　continuation　of　the　line　joining　this　place　and　the　sun。　　Thence　it　was　easy　to　ascertain　the　two　particular　regions　of　the　heavens　through　which　all　these　fragments　would　pass。　　Also；　by　carefully　noting　the　small　stars　thereabout；　and　examining　them　from　time　to　time；　it　might　be　expected　that　more　of　the　fragments　would　be　discovered。M。　Harding　discovered　the　planet　Juno　in　one　of　these　regions；　and　Dr。　Olbers　himself　also；　by　carefully　examining　them　＇the　small　stars＇　from　time　to　time；　discovered　Vesta。〃

These　additions　certainly　afford　us　a　new　epoch　in　the　annals　of　the　solar　system；　and　of　astronomy　itself。　　It　is　somewhat　remarkable；　that　Herschel；　who　in　the　course　of　his　observations　traced　certain　nebulae；　the　light　from　which　must　have　been　two　millions　of　years　in　reaching　the　earth；　should　never　have　remarked　these　planets；　which；　so　to　speak；　lay　at　his　feet。　　It　reminds　one　of　Esop's　astrologer；　who；　to　the　amusement　of　his　ignorant　countrymen；　while　he　was　wholly　occupied　in　surveying　the　heavens；　suddenly　found　himself　plunged　in　a　pit。　　These　new　planets　also　we　are　told　are　fragments　of　a　larger　planet：　　how　came　this　larger　planet　never　to　have　been　discovered？

Till　Herschel's　time　we　were　content　with　six　planets　and　the　sun；　making　up　the　cabalistical　number　seven。　　He　added　another。　　But　these　four　new　ones　entirely　derange　the　scheme。　　The　astronomers　have　not　yet　had　opportunity　to　digest　them　into　their　places；　and　form　new　worlds　of　them。　　This　is　all　unpleasant。　　They　are；　it　seems；　〃fragments　of　a　larger　planet；　which　had　by　some　unknown　cause　been　broken　to　pieces。〃　　They　therefore　are　probably　not　inhabited。　　How　does　this　correspond　with　the　goodness　of　God；　which　will　suffer　no　mass　of　matter　in　his　creation　to　remain　unoccupied？　　Herschel　talks　at　his　ease　of　whole　systems；　suns　with　all　their　attendant　planets；　being　consigned　to　destruction。　　But　here　we　have　a　catastrophe　happening　before　our　eyes；　and　cannot　avoid　being　shocked　by　it。　　〃God　does　nothing　in　vain。〃　　For　which　of　his　lofty　purposes　has　this　planet　been　broken　to　pieces；　and　its　fragments　left　to　deform　the　system　of　which　we　are　inhabitants；　at　least　to　humble　the　pride　of　man；　and　laugh　to　scorn　his　presumption？　　Still　they　perform　their　revolutions；　and　obey　the　projectile　and　gravitating　forces；　which　have　induced　us　to　people　ten　thousand　times　ten　thousand　worlds。　　It　is　time；　that　we　should　learn　modesty；　to　revere　in　silence　the　great　cause　to　which　the　universe　is　indebted　for　its　magnificence；　its　beauty　and　harmony；　and　to　acknowledge　that　we　do　not　possess　the　key　that　should　unlock　the　mysteries　of　creation。

One　of　the　most　important　lessons　that　can　be　impressed　on　the　human　mind；　is　that　of　self…knowledge　and　a　just　apprehension　of　what　it　is　that　we　are　competent　to　achieve。　　We　can　do　much。　　We　are　capable　of　much　knowledge　and　much　virtue。　　We　have　patience；　perseverance　and　subtlety。　　We　can　put　forth　considerable　energies；　and　nerve　ourselves　to　resist　great　obstacles　and　much　suffering。　　Our　ingenuity　is　various　and　considerable。　　We　can　form　machines；　and　erect　mighty　structures。　　The　invention　of　man　for　the　ease　of　human　life；　and　for　procuring　it　a　multitude　of　pleasures　and　accommodations；　is　truly　astonishing。　　We　can　dissect　the　human　frame；　and　anatomise　the　mind。　　We　can　study　the　scene　of　our　social　existence；　and　make　extraordinary　improvements　in　the　administration　of　justice；　and　in　securing　to　ourselves　that　germ　of　all　our　noblest　virtues；　civil　and　political　liberty。　　We　can　study　the　earth；　its　strata；　its　soil；　its　animals；　and　its　productions；　〃from　the　cedar　that　is　in　Lebanon；　to　the　hyssop　that　springeth　out　of　the　wall。〃

But　man　is　not　omnipotent。　　If　he　aspires　to　be　worthy　of　honour；　it　is　necessary　that　he　should　compute　his　powers；　and　what　it　is　they　are　competent　to　achieve。　　The　globe　of　earth；　with　〃all　that　is　therein；〃　is　our　estate　and　our　empire。　　Let　us　be　content　with　that　which　we　have。　　It　were　a　pitiful　thing　to　see　so　noble　a　creature　struggling　in　a　field；　where　it　is　impossible　for　him　to　distinguish　himself；　or　to　effect　any　thing　real。　　There　is　no　situation　in　which　any　one　can　appear　more　little　and　ludicrous；　than　when　he　engages　in　vain　essays；　and　seeks　to　accomplish　that；　which　a　moment's　sober　thought　would　teach　him　was　utterly　hopeless。

Even　astronomy　is　to　a　certain　degree　our　own。　　We　can　measure　the　course　of　the　sun；　and　the　orbits　of　the　planets。　　We　can　calculate　eclipses。　　We　can　number　the　stars；　assign　to　them　their　places；　and　form　them　into　what　we　call　constellations。　　But；　when　we　pretend　to　measure　millions　of　miles　in　the　heavens；　and　to　make　ourselves　acquainted　with　the　inhabitants　of　ten　thousand　times　ten　thousand　worlds　and　the　accommodations　which　the　creator　has　provided　for　their　comfort　and　felicity；　we　probably　engage　in　something　more　fruitless　and　idle；　than　the　pigmy　who　should　undertake　to　bend　the　bow　of　Ulysses；　or　strut　and　perform　the　office　of　a　warrior　clad　in　the　armour　of　Achilles。

How　beautiful　is　the　〃firmament；　this　majestical　roof　fretted　with　golden　fire！〃　Let　us　beware　how　we　mar　the　magnificent　scene　with　our　interpolations　and　commentaries！　　Simplicity　is　of　the　essence　of　the　truly　great。　　Let　us　look　at　the　operations　of　that　mighty　power　from　which　we　ourselves　derive　our　existence；　with　humility　and　reverential　awe！　　It　may　well　become　us。　　Let　us　not　〃presume　into　the　heaven　of　heavens；〃　unbidden；　unauthorised　guests！　　Let　us　adopt　the　counsel　of　the　apostle；　and　allow　no　man　to　〃spoil　us　through　vain　philosophy。〃　　The　business　of　human　life　is　serious；　the　useful　investigations　in　which　we　may　engage　are　multiplied。　　It　is　excellent　to　see　a　rational　being　conscious　of　his　genuine　province；　and　not　idly　wasting　powers　adapted　for　the　noblest　uses　in　unmeasured　essays　and　ill…concocted　attempts。



ESSAY　XXII。　OF　THE　MATERIAL　UNIVERSE。

In　the　preceding　Essay　I　have　referred　to　the　theory　of　Berkeley；　whose　opinion　is　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　matter　in　the　sense　in　which　it　is　understood　by　the　writers　on　natural　philosophy；　and　that　the　whole　of　our　experience　in　that　respect　is　the　result　of　a　system　of　accidents　without　an　intelligible　subject；　by　means　of　which　antecedents　and　consequents　flow　on　for　ever　in　a　train；　the　past　succession　of　which　man　is　able　to　record；　and　the　future　in　many　cases　he　is　qualified　to　predict　and　to　act　upon。

An　argument　more　palpable　and　popular　than　that　of　Berkeley　in　favour　of　the　same　hypothesis；　might　be　deduced　from　the　points　recapitulated　in　that　Essay　as　delivered　by　Locke　and　Newton。　　If　what　are　vulgarly　denominated　the　secondary　qualities　of　matter　are　in　reality　nothing　but　sensations　existing　in　the　human　mind；　then　at　any　rate　matter　is　a　very　different　thing　from　what　it　is　ordinarily　apprehended　to　be。　　To　which　I　add；　in　the　second　place；　that；　if　matter；　as　is　stated　by　Newton；　consists　in　so　much　greater　a　degree　of　pores　than　solid　parts；　that　the　absolute　particles　contained　in　the　solar　system　might；　for　aught　we　know；　he　contained　in　a