consumed, essential to inflammation. This would lead us, in another step or two, to the supporters of combustion, and the composition of the atmosphere. And as some curiosity would be excited, to ascertain what became of the whole of the tallow consumed, the candle would be burnt in a close vessel, and the contents of it, afterwards, be examined; which, under a little variety of management, would lead to the constituents of tallow, and the products of combustion.

All these simple facts, and many others, equally simple, might address themselves to any individual whatever, and might give rise to all the reflections, and lead to all the conclusions here noted, without demanding any assistance from Genius. And if the physical organization of the senses were perfect, and the individual active; if a spirit of enquiry existed in him to trace back these palpable facts to their causes; or to pursue them through their several relations to each other, and to other truths, derived in the same manner from the observation of other objects; what a vast fund of philosophical knowledge would be acquired? Knowledge, which has been ascribed to Genius as its peculiar offspring. The theory of reflection, refraction, and refrangibility of light; the doctrine of colors; the nature of combustion, with its supporters and products; the oxidation of metals; the distinction between heat and light; the chemical properties of air; and the different conducting powers of heat

F

in different bodies, &c. &c. These theories have immortalized a Newton, a Leslie, a Thompson, a Lavoisier, a Kepler, a Priestley, &c., and raised them to the rank of Geniuses among mankind ; and yet I should wish to know, which single fact, or which single consequence, common minds, and common industry, could not discover.

I do not mean that any mind would, instantly, deduce all these conclusions from these obvious appearances. Certainly not. But any mind might deduce them, without having any recourse to the hypothesis of Genius; and most minds would deduce them, if, at the time of observation, they were engaged in congenial speculations; as Newton was when he discovered gravitation, and Archimedes when he discovered the question of specific gravity.

But that we may still more clearly perceive, the full benefit of this our own personal observation of, and consequent reasoning upon, this simple object, let us consider with what facility the stock of knowledge we have acquired, will enable us to read and understand the labours of others. For example, we know now that the angle of incidence of a ray of light impinging upon a plane surface, is equal to the angle of reflection, and that those angles have a fixed ratio to each other in the refraction of light passing through water; and, by analogy, through glass; and, consequently, we can proceed to consider the principles of the reflecting

and refracting telescope; although we have not those objects before us, or have never seen them. It is true, that a slight knowledge of Geometry will be necessary; but then the truths of that science ask no Genius to comprehend them; they are all, in a peculiar sense, demonstrated.

In like manner, we are prepared for the higher views of chemical philosophy, if we carry with us the light we have obtained from these observations, and the same ardent enquiry after knowledge; and in all cases, wherever our researches may lead us, we shall find, that truth rests upon sense: even in the abstract science to which I have just referred-Geometry. For when we say, that the three angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles, although this is a universal truth, and is not confined to this, or that triangle, yet it belongs to all; and to perceive it we must see it in one. I would rather call it a general truth, or a truth which is predicable of a genus, than an abstract truth. There would be less liability of error in such a form of expression; and much of the warm contentions between the nominalists and realists, would have been spared by it.

If not content with simple observation; nor satisfied with the communications of others, we exercise ourselves in forming new combinations, or attempt new associations of our ideas, there is every encouragement afforded us to hope, that some arrangement will be discovered, to which

accident may lead us when we least expect it, as it before led a Newton, and an Archimedes; and our labours obtain the merited character of Genius. Let us not despair; we know, by simple arithmetic, that ten objects only may be arranged in more than three millions of different ways; and in nature there are millions of objects, and tens of millions of properties belonging to them, so that we shall never have to weep with Alexander, for worlds of science to overcome. At present we are upon the threshold of the vast temple of knowledge; ages may pass away whilst mankind are advancing through the porch; and, perhaps, eternity will open upon us before we reach the adytum itself. During our progress, however, we may exclaim of Philosophy in general, as the Poet with perfect truth, exclaimed

"How charming is divine philosophy!

Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose;
But musical, as is Apollo's lute,

And a perpetual feast of nectar'd sweets,
Where no crude surfeit reigns."

Having shown that the direct road to philosophy, is through the diligent exercise of sense, perfect in its organization, it will not be necessary, though it would not be difficult, if the limits of this Essay would permit it, to erect as certain finger posts to the Epopea; the paths run parallelly; and

he who has made a progress in the one, might, if he had begun early, as successfully have advanced in the other and in both he must have trusted to

sense.

That I may not be supposed to have advanced this opinion, without some authority to support it, I will quote, from the life of Milton, a faithful direction to the highway, by which that exalted Genius reached the summit of excellence. They who feel disposed to tread the same path, will find it conduct them to the same eminence.

66 Milton," says his Biographer, "had done, antecedent to his blindness, what he knew to be necessary, previous to poetical excellence. He had acquired extensive learning," (that is the knowledge of observation, and the communicated knowledge of this Essay; both of which have been shown to depend upon sense.) "He had stored his mind with intellectual treasures:" this is only a classical description of the combinations of sensible ideas, to which allusion has been so frequently made. In less elevated phrases, he had collected together every thing that was essential to the Poet, by the exercise of his own observation, and the observations of others. We find no mention of Genius; and I fearlessly ask for a quotation from the sublime poem of this great master, which cannot be resolved into sensible images; which did not owe its origin to sense.