tion, to distinguish truth from error. | understanding raised and excited to The success of all such investigations more divine contemplations."--See depends very considerably on the Hutton's Philosophical and Mathemastrength of the faculty of abstraction; tical Dictionary, art. Mathematics. and nothing is better calculated to strengthen and improve that faculty, than the studies I am now defending, I am not surprised, therefore, to find Quinctilian recommending an acquaintance with them, as one of the most important qualifications for a public speaker. His language on this subject is certainly very strong; for he even goes so far as to maintain, that very little can be done without them, when he says "nullo modo sine geometria potest esse orator." (Inst. Orat. 1. 10.)*

Much more might be said, to shew the benefits accruing to individuals from these studies, with regard to mental improvement; but there are other recommendations in their favour which press on my attention, and I fear to extend this paper to too great a length. I shall therefore content myself with giving, as a confirmation of what I have advanced, and as a short summary of what more might be urged on the same point, an extract from an inaugural oration delivered by the celebrated Dr. Isaac Barrow, on occasion of his appointment to the Mathematical Professorship at Cambridge.

"The Mathematics," he observes, "effectually exercise, not vainly delude, nor vexatiously torment, studious minds with obscure subtleties, but plainly demonstrate every thing within their reach, draw certain conclusions, instruct by profitable rules, and unfold pleasant questions. These disciplines likewise inure and corroborate the mind to a constant diligence in study; they wholly deliver us from a credulous simplicity, most strongly fortify us against the vanity of scepticism, effectually restrain us from a rash presumption, most easily incline us to a due assent, and perfectly subject us to the government of right reason. While the mind is abstracted and elevated from sensible matter, distinctly views pure forms, conceives the beauty of ideas, and investigates the harmony of proportions; the manners themselves are sensibly corrected and improved, the affections composed and rectified, the fancy calmed and settled, and the

Without a knowledge of geometry, no one can be a perfect orator.

Such are the advantages which accrue to individuals. But I imagine I hear some persons on the other side still exclaiming, cui bono? and asking, where is the public benefit? I answer, the public advantage is the aggregate of that which individuals acquire; and therefore, when individuals derive benefit from Mathematics, in the same proportion that their number bears to the mass of society, society itself may be set down as being benefited by their acquirements. But much more may

be urged in their favour than what I have advanced; for, like every thing else that is really valuable, they dif fuse their benefits abroad, and their bounty in a thousand ways descends on every rank and condition of mankind.

The enumeration of their excellencies would in fact be an application of the science itself to the summation of an infinite series, and one which converges so very slowly, that I could not hope soon to come to a satisfactory result. The easier and shorter way perhaps will be, to shew not what the public enjoy in consequence of the cultivation of these sciences, but what the world would be without them.

Take away the kindred sciences of astronomy and navigation, which we have already noticed as belonging to the Mathematics, and which, but for what geometry and algebra have done for them, instead of deserving the name of sciences, would be only one remove, in the scale of utility and excellence, from being good for nothing, Suppose them both to be expunged from the book of human knowledge, and nothing to be known of either, beyond what observation and practice will supply; I need not say, the Parliament of this country might then withdraw the offer they have made of a reward for improvements in the mode of determining the longitude; for the mariner, instead of spreading his canvas to every wind on every ocean, would be found only in the waters immediately adjoining to the shore, or in those diminutive seas that are surrounded almost every where by land. Ages would again elapse before distant continents would be explored; or more probably they would never be

discovered. And all the additional | the frequent occurrence of which, knowledge and advantages of every would greatly diminish their real kind which we derive from friendly intercourse with nations separated from us by a vast expanse of waters, would, with a few trifling exceptions, remain utterly beyond our reach: and we might truly say with Horace, " deus abscidit oceano dissociabili."

Instead of the mutual equilibrium now established by commerce, between the wants and the superfluities of various nations, the inequality of produce, consequent on difference of soil and climate, would occasion, according to circumstances, a waste on one hand and a deficiency on the other; and every man's ingenuity and industry, would be limited to the land of his nativity. Nay, more than this; vast multitudes of human beings must then remain without the light of scriptural revelation, and destitute of the benefit of Christian instruction: for the Bible, which, since it was first given by inspiration, has never found its way any where, but by communication from man to man, could not then be supplied to them, but through difficulties bordering almost upon impossibility; and the Christian missionary would either remain ignorant of their real state, or stand without the power of affording them relief, and be compelled to leave them to all the horrors, all the fatality, of the moral darkness which surrounds them.

value, and perhaps render many of them too generally unpopular, ever to be employed much to the general advantage. The latter supposition is most probable; as even with the advantage of the additional security and certainty which they derive from Mathematics, it is not without great difficulty, and after the lapse of a considerable length of time, that mechanical inventions find their way to general employment. I am not saying that men would not, without the knowledge of Mathematics, stumble on the use of the lever, the wedge, the inclined plane, the wheel and axle, the pulley and the screw. But if the appropriation of these powers be of any service, why not the science, which defines their use, and points to the most efficient mode of application? In the estimation of all reasonable men, improvements in mechanics are chiefly to be expected from those, who are well acquainted with the theory; as a man with eye-sight is much more likely to find a treasure that is hidden, than a man without it. If this point be disputed, let history decide the question.

I grant that "habits of abstraction and theorizing, may be carried to excess," and that mere theory is good for very little. But there is a correspondent and equivalent disadvantage, on the other hand, in practice without theory; and if these two extremes, in the consideration of the question, should be allowed to serve as a counterbalance to each other, the palm of merit will be awarded to practice and theory combined together. On this point I shall beg leave to speak in the language of Professor Dugald Stewart.

Take from mankind the noble science of mechanics, and remove along with it all the inventions and improvements in the various arts, which it has given to the world; suppose mankind to have been left from the beginning, or to be left henceforth, to the rude and uncertain efforts of nature, untutored by mathematical science, and as- "Care should be taken," he obsisted only by such maxims as might serves, when writing on this subject, be accumulated in the course of ages "to guard against both these extremes, by practice and experience; the con- and to unite habits of abstraction with sequence would be, that men would habits of business, in such a manner either depend for the accomplishment as to enable men to consider things of works of art and labour, on their either in general or in detail, as the own unassisted strength, (as the poet occasion may require. Whichever of compels the men engaged in the build- these habits may happen to gain an ing of Carthage, "manibus subvolvere undue ascendant over the mind, it will saxa," to roll the stones up with their necessarily produce a character limited hands;) or, if they had recourse to in its powers, and fitted only for parengines and machines of any kind, ticular exertions. When theoretical would be liable, for want of a theore-knowledge and practical skill are haptical knowledge of mechanics, to many mistakes in their construction, and to many accidents in their application,

pily combined in the same person, the intellectual power of man appears in its full perfection, and fits him equally

to conduct with a masterly hand the details of ordinary business, and to contend successfully with the untried difficulties of new and hazardous situations. In conducting the former, mere experience may frequently be a sufficient guide; but experience and speculation must be combined together, to prepare us for the latter." Expert men,' says Lord Bacon, ' can execute and judge of particulars one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots, and the marshalling of affairs, come best from those who are learned.'"-(Ele- | ments of the Philosophy of the Human Mind, p. 231, &c.)

It will be needless for me to extend these remarks to any of the other sciences. It is quite enough to have taken a glance at what the world would❘ be, without those of which we have been speaking. And yet I have a few examples to bring forward, which will tend to shew that even the mere theorist is not on certain occasions so contemptible a creature, as on others he may seem to be. We may deride the poor cheek-worn Mathematician, when we see him sitting encircled by diagrams and figures, before a lamp which he never thinks of trimming; but there have been seasons when such a man was worth the whole world of mere practitioners.

On one occasion, Pericles the Athenian, and on another Dion of Syracuse, by their knowledge of astronomy, saved a whole army from being terrified by an eclipse, at a time when the hesitation and delay which would have been otherwise occasioned, would have been likely to prove ruinous. On the other hand, Nicias, on a similar occasion, being unable himself to account for the phenomenon, and obtaining from the soothsayers, whom he consulted on the subject, nothing but an augmentation of his terrors, suffered himself and his whole army to be struck with a foolish consternation, and although every thing was then ready for his departure on a most important expedition, and he was actually going to set sail at the moment when the eclipse began, he suspended the enterprise so many days, that he lost all the advantage which he would have gained by surprising his enemies before they were aware of his approach; and the issue of the expedition was in consequence, ruinous to his whole army. And who has not heard of Archimedes? who was indeed so deeply

absorbed in mathematical studies, that he did not know when the city of Syracuse, in which he lived, was taken by the enemy. He was killed by a soldier as he was drawing his figures in the dust.

This man had previously for several months, by the use of his powerful and ingenious contrivances, bid defiance to all the skill and force of the besiegers; and he might probably, in the end, have saved the city for that time from being taken, but that the guards (it is supposed) were bribed, and Marcellus prevailed against it by the more powerful influence of gold. [To be continued.]

THE CHOICE.

WHILE others bow at partial Fortune's shrine,

Or run with eager steps Fame's airy chase,
Regardless of their sordid choice, be mine
Fair Science, thro' her secret paths to trace.
With Newton let me oft advent'rous soar
The blazing Comet's devious course explore,
"Above this visible diurnal sphere,"*

Or mark the progress of the circling year.
Or, urg'd remote across the spacious sky,
Beyond where Georgium greets the wearied
sight,

Let Contemplation's philosophic eye,

Gaze o'er unnumber'd systems with delight.

And let the midnight caverns of the deep,
Whose shades obscure unnumber'd charms

Imperial Magazine, with a list of such | Books as a person should read, who is preparing for the ministry.

4. On the expression, " Lead us not into Temptation."

"A Constant Reader," of Blackburn, observes, that as the scriptures say "God tempts no man," he is at a loss how to reconcile the following expression in the Lord's Prayer, "Lead us not into temptation," with that plain declaration. He would feel much obliged to any of our correspondents, who would clearly and satisfactorilyexplain the latter passage, which, from conscientious motives, he has omitted to use. He thinks a satisfactory explanation will be joyfully received by many labouring under the same scruples with himself.

5. Concerning Judas.

"J. O." says, that his attention was particularly arrested, while reading the following passage; "He it was that should betray him," John 12. 4. He adds, "I have thought it very strange that the writer should take up the conduct of Judas Iscariot in the future tense, when treating upon an event which had taken place many years before; implying, that Judas was as much raised up of God to betray our Lord, as the other Apostles were to proclaim his death to be the life of the world." An answer to this is desired.

6. On the Wesleyan Doctrines. Another correspondent, who subscribes himself" Neuter," observes as follows. As Mr. Wesley professed to admit that God was the author of conversion, that he gave the will its right direction, and sustained the religion which he first produced; when this admission is pursued to all its consequences, I would just beg leave to ask, whether this does not prove all that Calvinism requires ?"

7. Why does Methodism increase more in England than in Ireland?

volving year announcing an accession to
their societies, of from 4 to 6000, while
in our Isle we sometimes have to mourn
the departure of hundreds; and com-
paratively seldom can we rejoice in an
increase to our numbers. Whence
does this proceed? I should be glad if
some of your ingenious correspondents
would inform the world, why it is that
the genial rays of Methodism bear so
lightly upon Ireland, compared with
her more prosperous neighbour? Is
Ireland so virtuous and pure as to ren-
der a more general introduction of that
system superfluous? Or is she so har-
dened as to be impervious to its salu-
brious influence? Your furnishing re-
plies to the above queries, will much
oblige your's, respectfully.”
8. On Christ's not praying for the world.

"A Lover of Truth," in Liverpool, alluding to Remarks, on 1 Tim. ii. I-6. which appeared in the Imperial Magazine for August, col. 519, &c. and in which St. Paul exhorts that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men," asks the following question: "How is this to be reconciled with the 17th chapter of John, verse 9th, where we are told that our Blessed Redeemer prayed not for the world, but for them that were given him out of the world? An illustration of this seeming contradiction will greatly oblige," &c.

MANAGEMENT OF A COAL FIRE.

Ir nothing that is of real advantage to mankind, can be considered as too insignificant for public attention, every article must be deemed of importance to the community, which so essentially contributes to our domestic comforts as to be in constant demand. Of this description are our kitchen and parlour Fires; on the proper management of which the following observations may not be unworthy of notice.-

When pit-coal is used for fuel in open fire-places, the quantity of heat generated thereby depends very considerably upon the fire being properly managed. If it be allowed to burn clear, it will throw out much heat; but, if the coal be heaped upon it in such a way as to prevent a current of air from passing through the mass, it will be smothered up, and produce a very small proportion; most of the heat will be lost by its being employed to give elas