views, I shall now proceed to illustrate the position,

That a general diffusion of knowledge would tend to the rapid advancement of universal sci

ence.

We are placed in the midst of a scene where a vast multiplicity of objects solicits our attention. Whether we look around on the surface of the earth, or penetrate into its bowels, or turn our eyes upwards to the surrounding atmosphere and the vault of heaven, we perceive an immense variety of beings, celestial and terrestrial, animated and inanimated, continually varying their aspects and positions, all differing from each other in certain points of view, yet connected together by various relations and resemblances.

Science, in the most general and extensive sense of the term, consists in a perception of the resemblances and differences, or the relations which these objects have to one another, and to us as rational beings. To ascertain the almost infinite number of relations which subsist among the immense variety of objects which compose the material and intellectual universe, requires an immense multitude of observations, comparisons, and deductions to be made by a vast number of observers placed in various circumstances and positions; or, in other words, the discovery of an immense number of facts. All science may therefore be considered as founded on facts; and perhaps there would be few exceptions to the truth of the position, were we to assert, that the most sublime truths and deductions, in every science, when stripped of all their adventitious circumstances, simplified, and expressed in the plainest and most perspicuous terms, may be reduced to so many facts. This position might be illustrated, were it necessary, by an induction of particulars from the various branches of mathematical and physical science. That "a whole is greater than any of its parts," that "the square described on the hypothenuse of a right-angled triangle is equal to the sum of the squares described on its remaining sides," are facts, the one deduced from observation or simple intuition, the other from a series of comparisons. That the sun is the centre, around which the planetary bodies revolve, that a projectile describes a parabolic curve, that the velocities of falling bodies are in proportion to the spaces run over,-that fluids press in all directions,—that the pressure of the atmosphere will support a column of water to the height of above thirty feet,-that the elastic spring of the air is equivalent to the force which compresses it, that the angle of incidence of a ray of light is equal to the angle of reflection, that the north pole of one magnet will attract the south pole of another, that the air we breathe is a composition of oxygen and nitrogen; and a variety of similar truths,

are facts, deduced either from simple observation and experiment, or from a comparison of a series of phenomena and experiments with each other. Now, every comparison we make between two or more objects or ideas, is an act of the mind affirming a resemblance or a disgreement between the objects compared; which affirmation, if deduced from a clear view of the objects presented to the mind or senses, is the declaration of a fact.

If the above sentiments are just, it will follow, that every person possessed of an ordinary share of understanding, and whose organs of sensation are in a sound state, is capable of acquiring all the leading truths of the most useful sciences, since he enjoys the senses and faculties requisite for the observation of facts, and for comparing them with one another. And if such a person is capable of receiving into his mind truths already ascertained, he is also, for the same reason, qualified for discovering new truths or facts, provided he be placed in such circumstances as shall have a tendency to present the objects of his pursuit in the clearest point of view; that he have an opportunity of surveying them on all sides, and that his attention be firmly riveted on their several aspects and relations. That one man, therefore, excels another in these respects, is chiefly owing to his mind being more particularly directed to the contemplation of certain objects and relations, and his mental faculties concentrated upon them. When a person, devoted to scientific investigation, discovers a new fact, it is not, in the majority of instances, because he possesses powers of intellect and organs of sensation superior to the ordinary endowments of humanity, but because he was placed in different circumstances, and had his attention directed to different objects, and was thus enabled to perceive rela tions and combinations which had been either unnoticed by others, or which were placed be yond the range of their observation. Genius, then, which is generally attributed to such cha racters, may be considered as consisting in a concentration of the rays of intellect upon any particular object, art, or science, arising from a lively taste we feel for that particular study. It may be compared to a burning lens, where the scattered rays of light are rendered powerful by being collected into a point.

In so far, then, as we are able to direct the faculties of the mind-however moderate a degree of vigour they may possess-to the fixed contemplation of scientific objects, in so far may we expect that new relations will be discovered, and new truths elicited. Sir Isaac Newton was one day asked, "How he had discovered the true system of the universe?" He replied, "By continually thinking upon it." He was frequently heard to declare, that "if he had done the world any service, it was due to no

thing but industry and patient thought, that he kept the subject under consideration constantly before him, and waited till the first dawning opened gradually, by little and little, into a full and clear light." Had this illustrious philosopher been born of barbarous parents in the wilds of Africa,—had he been placed in circumstances widely different from those in which he actually existed, or had not his attention, by some casual occurrence, been directed to the grand object which he accomplished, in all probability, his mind would never have ranged through the celestial regions, nor have discovered the laws of the planetary motions.

Many important scientific facts require only a certain combination of circumstances to bring them to the view of any common observer. To discover the phases of the planet Venus, the satellites of Jupiter, and the elliptical figure of Saturn, after the telescope was invented, required no uncommon powers either of vision or of intellect in Galileo, who first brought these facts to view, however superior the faculties he actually possessed. It only required, that he had a previous knowledge of the existence of these planetary bodies, that his mind was interested in the extension of science, and that he foresaw a probability that new and interesting facts might be discovered by directing his new invented instrument to the starry regions. And when once he had descried from his observatory such new celestial wonders, every other person whose organs of vision were not impaired, with a similar tube, might discover the same objects. Yet, for want of the qualifications which Galileo possessed, the telescope might have long remained in the hands of thousands before such discoveries had been made; and it is a fact, that though the telescope was in use a consider able time before Galileo made his discoveries, no person had previously thought of directing it to the planets; at any rate, no discoveries had been made by it in the heavens.

The discovery of new truths in the sciences, therefore, is not, in most instances, to be ascribed to the exertions of extraordinary powers of intellect; but, in a great majority of cases, to the peculiar series of events that may occur in the case of certain individuals, to the various circumstances and situations in which they may be placed, to the different aspects in which certain objects may be presented to their view, and sometimes to certain casual hints or occurrences which directed their attention to particular objects. A spectacle-maker's boy, by an accidental experiment, led to the invention of the telescope; the remark of a fountain-player, who observed that water could rise only to thirtytwo feet in the tubes of a forcing engine, led Galileo to calculate the gravity of the air. Newton's attention was first directed to a profound research into the laws of falling bodies,

by the circumstance of an apple falling upon the head, as he was sitting under a tree in his garden, which led to the discovery of the grand principle which unites the great bodies of the universe. The well-known Mr. James Ferguson, author of several popular treatises on astronomy and mechanical philosophy, invented a system of mechanics, and ascertained the laws of the different mechanical powers, when only eight years of age, and before he knew that any treatise had ever been written on that = subject. The accidental circumstance of seeing his father lift up the roof of his cottage, by means of a prop and lever, first directed his mind to these subjects, in which he afterwards made many useful improvements.

If, then, it be admitted, that an extraordinary degree of intellectual energy and acumen is not necessary, in every instance, for making useful discoveries, that the concentration of the mental faculties on particular objects, and the various circumstances in which individuals may be placed, have led to the discovery of impor tant facts,-it will follow, that the exertion of the ordinary powers of intellect possessed by the mass of society is sufficient for the purpose of prosecuting scientific discoveries, and that the more the number of scientific observers and experimenters is increased among the inferior ranks of society, the more extensively will interesting facts and analogies be ascertained, from which new and important principles of science may be deduced.

The sci

An ample field still remains for the exertion of all the energies of the human mind. ences are, as yet, far removed from perfection; some of them have but lately commenced their progress, and some of their elementary principles still require to be established by future observations. The objects of nature which science embraces are almost infinite; the existence of many of these objects has not yet been discovered, and much less their multiplied relations and combinations. The researches of ages are still requisite, in order thoroughly to explore the universe, and bring to view its hidden wonders. In order to bring to light, as speedily as possible, the undiscovered truths of science, we must endeavour to increase the number of those who shall devote themselves, either wholly or in part, to scientific investigation and research. And, were this object attained, in all probability, the number of useful truths and facts which would be discovered, would be nearly in proportion to the number of those whose attention is directed to such researches.

This might be illustrated from the history of the past progress of science. In those ages, when only a few solitary individuals, here and there, directed their attention to such pursuits, little or no progress was made in the various

departments of human knowledge; nay, sometimes they appeared to have taken a retrograde course. During the dark ages, when the human mind, fettered by papal tyranny and superstition, and absorbed in sensual gratifications, seldom made excursions into the regions of science, no useful discoveries were brought to light, science was not only at a stand, but the knowledge and improvements of preceding ages were even in danger of being entirely obliterated. But no sooner had the human intellect burst its fetters, and the number of rational investigators begun to increase,-no sooner had they formed themselves into regular associations for scientific purposes, than Science and Art were aroused from the slumber of ages, and began to move forward towards perfection with accelerated progress. This may easily be traced by those who have attended to the history of science during the last 160 years. About the commencement of this period, the Academy of Sciences at Paris, and the Royal Society of London, were established. These soon gave birth to similar societies in almost every country in Europe; and there can be no doubt, that the advanced state of knowledge in the present day is chiefly to be attributed to the investigations and discoveries made by the members of those associations, to their joint cooperation in the propagation of useful knowledge, and to the stimulus they afforded to intellectual pursuits.

Would we then accelerate the march of science far beyond the rate of its past and present progress, would we wish to extend its range far beyond its present boundaries, nothing is so likely to effectuate this end, as an increase of the number of scientific experimenters and observers. Let a certain portion of rational information be imparted to the great mass of mankind,-let intellectual acquirements be exhibited to them as the noblest objects of pursuit, and let them be encouraged to form associations, for the purpose of mutual improvement and scientific research. By these means their attention would be directed to intellectual improvement, a taste would be excited for rational investigations, which would stimulate them to make farther progress; they would soon feel an interest in the objects of science; they would listen with pleasure to the accounts of discoveries which are gradually brought to light throughout the different regions of physical investigation and would be stimulated, from a laudable ambition of distinguishing themselves as discoverers, as well as from an innate love to the pursuit of knowledge, to observe those facts, to make those researches, and to institute those experiments, that might have a tendency to enlarge the circle of human knowledge. Were the number of such persons increased but a thousand-fold, so that for every twenty scien

tific investigators now existing, twenty thousand were employed in surveying the various localities, aspects, and operations of nature, in the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, on the surface of the earth and the ocean, and in the celestial regions,-hundreds of new facts would, in all probability, be. brought to light, for one that is now discovered by the present contracted circle of scientific inen; from which new and important conclusions in the arts and sciences might be deduced.

Nor let it be objected, that the great bulk of mankind, particularly the middling and the lower ranks of society, are incapable of making any important discoveries in science. If what we have already stated be correct, they are possessed of all the essential requisites, not only for acquiring the elementary principles of knowledge, but also for penetrating beyond the circle which marks the present boundaries of science. They are all organized in nearly the same manner, (a few insulated individuals only excepted,) and, consequently, have nearly an equal aptitude for the exercise of conception, judgment, and ratiocination. They have the same organs of sensation, and the same powers of intellect, as persons in the highest ranks of society. The grand scene of the universe is equally open to peasants and mechanics, as to princes and legislators; and they have the same opportunities of making observations on the phenomena of nature, and the processes of art,-nay, in many instances, their particular situations, and modes of life, afford them peculiar advantages in these respects, which are not enjoyed by persons of a superior rank. In short, they have the same innate curiosity and taste for relishing such investigations, provided the path of knowledge be smoothed before them, and their attention thoroughly directed to intellectual acquisitions.

Nor, again, should it be objected, that an attention to such objects, and an exquisite relish for mental enjoyments, would unfit them for the ordinary duties of active life. Every man, under a well-regulated government, enjoys a certain portion of leisure from the duties of his station, which, in too many instances, is wasted either in listless inaction, or in the pursuits of folly and dissipation. This leisure is all that is requisite for the purpose in view. It would only be requisite that, during its continuance, the train of their thoughts should be directed into a chaunel which would lead them to more pleasing associations, and more substantial pleasures, than the general current of human thought is calculated to produce. That those who are in the habit of exercising their faculties on rational subjects are thereby rendered more unfit for the common business of life, it would be absurd to suppose. He who habitually exercises his judgment on scientific objects, is

gradually improving his mental powers, and must, from this very circumstance, be better qualified than others for exercising them in his particular trade or profession. For the habit of exerting the intellectual faculties in any one department, must necessarily fit them for vigorous exertion on any other object, whether mechanical, agricultural, social, or domestic, to which the attention may be directed. The evils which at present derange the harmony of society, so far from arising from a vigorous exertion of intellect, are to be ascribed, for the most part, to an opposite cause. The intellectual powers, in the case of the great bulk of mankind, lie in a great measure dormant, their energies are not sufficiently exerted in any department of active life; and when occasionally roused from their inactivity, they are too frequently exercised in the arts of deception, of mischief, and of human destruction. To direct the current of human thought, therefore, into a different channel, besides its influence on the progress of science, would be productive of many happy effects on the social and moral condition of mankind; and, as far as my experience goes, with a very few exceptions, I have found, that those who are addicted to rational pursuits are the most industrious and respectable members of civil and Christian society.

The above hints have been thrown out with the intention of showing, that, as all science is founded on facts, and as every person possessed of the common organization of human nature is capable of observing facts, and of comparing them with one another, as the discovery of new truths is owing more to the concentration of the mental faculties on particular objects, and to several accidental circumstances, than to the exertion of extraordinary powers of intellect, and as the sciences have generally improved in proportion to the number of those who have devoted themselves to their cultivation, so there is every reason to conclude, that the diffusion of general knowledge and of scientific taste, and consequently, the increase of scientific observers, would ensure the rapid advancement of the different sciences, by an increase of the facts in relation to them which would thus be discovered.

I shall now endeavour to illustrate the positions stated above, by a few examples in relation to two or three of the physical sciences.

Geology. This science is yet in its infancy; and some of its first principles require to be confirmed and illustrated by an induction of an immense number of facts of various descriptions. It is a branch of knowledge altogether founded upon facts palpable to the eye of every common observer. Its object is, to investigate the internal structure of the earth,-the arrangement of its component parts,-the changes which its

materials have undergone since its original formation, and the causes which have operated in the production of these changes. To determine such objects, it is requisite that an immense variety of observations be made on the form, position, and arrangement of mountains, -on the beds of rivers,-the interior of caverns, the recesses of ravines,-the subterraneous apartments of mines,-the fissures and chasms which abound in Alpine districts,-and even on the bottom of the ocean, in so far as it can be explored; and that a multitude of facts be collected in relation to the materials and position, the elevation and inflexion, the fraction and dislocation of the earth's strata-calcareous petrifactions--metallic veins-decomposed rocks

-mosses-rivers-lakes-sand-banks-seacoasts-the products of volcanoes-the composition of stone, sand, and gravel-the organic remains of animal and vegetable matter,—in short, that the whole surface of the terraqueous globe, and its interior recesses, be contemplated in every variety of aspect presented to the view of man. The observations hitherto made in reference to such multifarious objects have been chiefly confined to a few regions of the earth, and the facts which have been ascertained with any degree of precision, have been collected, chiefly by a few individuals, within the last fifty or sixty years. From such partial and limited researches, general principles have been deduced, and theories of the earth have been framed, which could only be warranted by a thorough examination of every region of the globe. Hence one theory of the earth has successively supplanted another for more than a century past. The theories of Burnet, Whiston, Woodward, Buffon, and Whitehurst, have each had its day and its admirers, but all of them are now fast sinking into oblivion, and in the next age will be viewed only as so many philosophical rhapsodies, and ingenious fictions of the imagination, which have no solid foundation in the actual structure of the earth. Even the foundations of the Huttonian and Wernerian systems, which have chiefly occupied the attention of geologists during the last thirty years, are now beginning to be shaken, and new systems are constructing composed of the fragments of both. One principal reason of this diversity of opinion respecting the true theory of the earth, undoubtedly is, that all the facts in relation to the external and internal structure of our globe have never yet been thoroughly explored. Instead of retiring to the closet, and attempting to patch up a theory with scattered and disjointed fragments, our province, in the mean time, is, to stand in the attitude of surveyors and observers, to contemplate every aspect which terrestrial nature presents, to collect the minutest facts which relate to the object in view, and then leave to succeeding generations