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on level ground. A man on the earth's surface, placed at the same distance, would probably appear nearly of his actual size. As we have been in the habit of measuring horizontal distances by the eye, we can readily form a nearly accurate opinion whether the person be at a hundred feet distance, or more or less; and the mind immediately makes an allowance for this distance, and corrects the first visual representation of the size of the person so rapidly that we do not remember it. But, having never been in the habit of measuring perpendicular distances, the mind is at a loss, and fails to make that correction which it would readily, and, as it were, intuitively make in the case of objects on level ground. The mistake, therefore, of his supposed nearness, combined with this. perplexity, causes the comparative littleness of the man on the steeple.

The fixed stars, when viewed by the eye, all appear to be alike indefinitely and equally distant. Being scattered over the whole sky, they make every part of it seem like themselves at an indefinite and equal distance, and therefore contribute to give the whole sky the appearance of the inside of a sphere. Moreover, the horizon seems to the eye to be further off than the zenith; because between us and the former there lie many things, as fields, hills, and waters, which we know to occupy a great space; whereas between us and the zenith there are no considerable things of known dimensions. And, therefore, the heavens appear like the segment of a sphere, and less than a hemisphere, in the centre of which we seem to stand. And the wider our prospect is, the greater will the sphere appear to be, and the less the segment.

85. Of objects seen on the ocean, &c.

A vessel seen at sea by a person who is not accustoned to the ocean, appears much nearer than it actually is, and on the same principles as already illustrated. In his previous observations of the objects at a distance, he has commonly noticed a number of intermediate objects interposed between the distant body and himself. It is probably the absence of such objects that chiefly causes the deception under which he labours in the present instance. In connexion with what has been said, we are led to

make this further remark, that a change in the purity of the air will perplex, in some measure, those ideas of distance which we receive from sight. Bishop Berkeley remarks, while travelling in Italy and Sicily, he noticed that cities and palaces, seen at a great distance, appeared nearer to him by several miles than they actually were. The cause of this he very correctly supposed to be the purity of the Italian and Sicilian air, which gave to objects at a distance a degree of brightness and distinctness which, in the less clear and pure atmosphere of his native country, could be observed only in those towns and separate edifices which were near. At home he had learned to estimate the distances of objects by their appearance; but his conclusions failed him when they came to be applied to objects in countries where the air was so much clearer.And the same thing has been noticed by other travellers who have been placed in the like circumstances.

86. Supposed feelings of a being called into existence in the full pos session of his powers.

In illustration of the principles which have been brought forward in the successive consideration of the senses, we are tempted to introduce in this place a favourite passage of the celebrated Buffon. In the Natural History of that learned writer we have an account of the process by which the full use of the sight and of the other external senses is acquired. He invents a delightful recital, and puts it in the mouth of our first parent; and thus instructs us in the most abstruse subjects by an appeal to the imagination.

"Let us suppose," says he, "a man newly brought into existence, whose body and organs are already perfectly formed, but who, awaking amid the productions of Nature, is an utter stranger to everything he perceives, both from without and from within. Of a man thus circumstanced, what would be the first emotions, the first sensations, the first opinions? Were he himself to give us a detail of his conceptions at this period, how would he express them? Might it not be in some measure as follows?

"Well do I recollect that joyful, anxious moment, when

I first became conscious of my own existence.-I knew not what I was, where I was, or whence I came. On opening my eyelids, what an addition to my surprise! The light of day, the azure vault of heaven, the verdure of the earth, the crystal of the waters, all employed, all animated, and filled me with inexpressible delight.

"At first I imagined that all those objects were within me, and formed a part of myself. Impressed with this idea, I turned my eyes towards the sun, whose splendour instant y dazzled and overpowered me. Involuntarily I closed my eyelids, though not without a slight sensation of pain; and, during this short interval of darkness, I imagined that I was about to sink into nothing.

"Full of affliction and astonishment, I had begun to ponder on this great change, when, listening, I heard a variety of sounds. The whistling of the wind and the melody of the grove formed a concert, of which the soft im pression pervaded the inmost recesses of my soul. I continued to listen; nor could I banish the persuasion that all this music was actually within me.

"So much was I engrossed with this new kind of existence, that I entirely forgot the light, that other part of my being, which I had known the first, till again I had opened my eyes. What joy to find myself once more in possession of so many brilliant objects! The present pleasure surpassed the former, and for a time suspended the charming effect of sounds.

"I turned my eyes upon a thousand different objects. These, which I still considered as a part of myself, I soon found that I could lose and restore at pleasure; and with a repetition of this new power I continued to amuse myself.

"I had begun to see without emotion, and to hear without confusion, when a light breeze, of which the freshness communicated a new sensation of pleasure, wafted its perfumes to me, and excited in me a kind of addi tional self-love.

"Agitated by all these different sensations, and impelled by the various pleasures of my new existence, I instantly arose, and, in arising, perceived myself moved along, as if by some unknown, some hidden power.

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Hardly had I advanced one step, when the novelty of my situation rendered me, as it were, immoveable My surprise returned; for I supposed that all the objects around me were in motion; to them I ascribed that agitation which I had myself produced by changing place; and the whole creation seemed once more to be in disorder.

"I carried my hand to my head; I touched my forehead; I felt my whole frame. Then it was that I first conceived my hand to be the principal organ of my existence. All its informations were so distinct, so perfect, and so superior to what I had experienced from the other senses, that I employed myself for some time in repeating its enjoyments. Every part of my body which I touched with my hand, seemed to touch my hand in turn, and actually gave back sensation for sensation

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"It was not long before I perceived that this faculty was expanded over my whole frame, and before I began to discover the limits of my existence, which, at first, I had supposed of an immense extent, and diffused over all the objects I saw.

"Upon casting my eyes upon my body, and surveying my own form, I conceived it to be of a size so enormous, that all the objects which hitherto struck my eyes seemed to be, in comparison, as so many luminous particles. I gazed upon my person with pleasure. I examined the formation of my hand, and all its motions; and the former appeared to me more or less large, in proportion as it was more or less distant from my eyes. On bringing it very near, it concealed, I found, almost every other object from my sight.

"I began soon, however, to suspect that there was some fallacy in the sensation I experienced from the eye; and I therefore resolved to depend for information upon the touch, which as yet, had never deceived me. This precaution was highly serviceable. I renewed my motions, and walked forward with my face turned towards the heavens. Happening to strike lightly against a palm-tree, I was dismayed, and laid my hand, though not without fear, upon this extraneous body; for extraneous I conceived it to be, as it did not return sensation for sensation, as

my former feelings had done. Now it was that, for the first time, I perceived there was something external, something which did not form an actual part of my own ex

istence.

"From this new discovery I concluded that I ought to form my opinion with respect to external objects in the same manner as I had done with respect to the parts of my body. I resolved, therefore, to feel whatever I saw ; and, vainly attempting to touch the sun, I stretched forth my arms and found nothing but an airy vacuum. At every effort I made, as each object appeared to me equally near, from one fit of surprise I fell into another; nor was it till after an infinite number of trials that I was enabled to use the eye as a guide to the hand, and that I perceived there were some objects more remote from me than others.

"Amazed and mortified at the uncertainty of my state, and at the endless delusions to which I seemed to be subjected, the more I reflected the more I was perplexed. Fatigued and oppressed with thought, I seated myself beneath a tree, loaded with delicious fruit within my reach. On stretching forth my arm, the frui instantly separated from the branches, and I seized it. To grasp in my hand an entire substance, which formed no part of myself, pleased me. When I held it up, its weight, though in itself trivial, seemed, however, like an animated impulse, to incline it to the earth. In conquering this resistance I found another and a greater pleasure.

"I held the fruit near my eye, and I considered its form and its colours. Its fragrance prompted me to carry it nearer and nearer, and with eagerness did I inhale that fragrance. The perfume invited my sense of tasting, which I found to be superior to that of smelling. What savour, what novelty of sensation did I now experience! Nothing could be more exquisite. What before had been pleasure was now heightened into luxury. The power of tasting gave me the idea of possession. I imagined that the substance of this fruit had become a part of my own substance, and that I was empowered to transform things without me at will.

"Charmed with the idea of this new power, and inciVOL. L-L

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