1752. Wonders of the CELESTIAL BODIES. 585 ings, the fphere of virtue may be more enlarged, and all tranfgreffion lefs excufable. The foul is ever active, ever vigilant in her fearches after new difcoveries. The fcale of exiftence from man down to inanimate matter, feems almost to know no bounds; and when we travel upward towards the refidence of more cxalted beings, the teeming wonder awes the foul into fubmiffion. From one degree of perfection to another, endless and indeterminate, to the B great original of all perfection, immenfe, and fempiternal, we can fcarcely trace out our diminutive portion of exiflence; and if myriads of intellectual beings rejoice in their feveral ftates thro' all the regions of space, well may we who inhabit fo fmall a part of the creation, fay, Lord, what is man, that thou should-ft be mindful of him! light to this earth. If they are no more than the candles of the night, how comes it that they are visible even at noon day? The most diftant of the fixed ftars, that are scarcely within the ken of telescopes, cannot furely be faid, without violence to A our rational faculties, to difpenfe any light to us. To fuppofe, that all we fee around us, was intended folely for the ufe and benefit of our fyftem, would be to think meanly of that power, and fparingly of that goodness: It would be magnifying our own imperfections, and diminishing the perfections of him that made us. Let any confiderable perfon but examine the chart of the univerfe, and he will find, that this little fpeck of earth is almoft imperceptible The fearch will be pain-C ful, and the difcovery unfatisfactory. Nothing was made in vain. The more extenfive our conjectures are, the more noble will our conceptions be of the Deity. Should we fay, that the planetary bodies have inhabitants, what can be more agreeable D to the divine benevolence, than fuch a fuppofition? Should we fay, that they were produced into existence, for wife reafons, which we cannot account for, by him, whole ways are past finding out, what can be more fuitable to the characters of depen- E dent beings? In the one cafe, we adore him from a deep fenfe we have of his wildom: In the other, we magify him from an abiding conviction we have of his power. That every planet fhould be defined for the abole of a variety of rational beings, is a thought that fills us with endearing fentiments of awful love: It is a thought that the inquifitive foul, in this maze of uncertainty, purfues with fond defire, and ardently wishes the may not be deceived. Perhaps in fome far di G ftant fphere, the fpring of action may be more circumfcribed, and virtue lefs in practice than it is with us: Perhaps in fome other world of be No lefs a matter of admiration is the distance from one planet to another, and from the nearest of the fixed stars to this earth: The extent of human numbers is scarce powerful enough to compafs this difficulty. What an awful idea does this raife in our minds, of the Almighty Agent! whofe exiftence, in a manner incomprehenfible to our finite capacities, pervades the infinity of space, ever prefent thro' all his works, ever filling the unmeafurable tracts of eternity. If thefe feveral degrees of diftance are almolt inconceivable, how can we attempt to form any idea of infinite space? That which is, which has F been, which ever will be where matter is not? This is what Sir Ifaac Newton calls the fenforium of the Deity; or that tremendous conception, by which we can form the moft adequate idea of his existence, fo far as our feeble intellects can think of him, it including the ideas of immenfity, infinity, and eternity. What is diftance when compared to this fupendous conception? In the 586 Amazing Distance of the FIXED STARS. C the eternal mind it has no existence. It appears confiderable to us, and what Huygens, to whom aftronomy owes its prefent establishment, fays upon this point, is very well worthy our obfervation. Thofe, fays he, that have hitherto undertook to cal: A culate the distance of the fixed ftars, have not been able to compass their defign, on account of the extreme nicety of the obfervations requifite for that purpofe. If we do but confider the stars as fo many funs, and fuppofe one of them to be exactly B equal to ours, it will follow, that its distance from us is as much greater than that of the fun, as its apparent diameter is less than the diameter of the fun. Now having leffened the diameter of the fun by the means of making a small hole in a thin plate fixed at the end of a tube, upon looking thro' it, the fun appeared no bigger than the dog ftar Sirius, and the diameter of it was but the 27664th part of what we every day fee, fo that it was juft the fame thing as if the fun was removed fo far from us. D The diftance of it then will be to the prefent diftance as 27664 is to 1. What an incredible distance this is, will appear from the common calculation of the fun's prefent diftance. For if 25 years are required for a bullet to travel from the fun to us, then by multiplying the number 27664 into 25, we fhall find that fuch a bullet would spend almost 700,000 years in its journey from the nearest of the fixed flars to us. And yet when we view them in a clear night, we cannot think them F above fome few miles over our heads. When we confider that the distance of others from thefe, is as great as the distance of these from the fun, what an immenfity must there ftill remain?-When I have been reflecting thus with myself, I have thought all our arithmetick was nothing, and that we are verfed but in the very rudiments of numbers, in compari ion of this great sum.” E App. Copy of a LETTER from a young MADAM, YOU were certainly quite tired YOU you in my laft letter, of the bufinefs Mr. W- -,eldeft fon to the amufements only. The people of Windfor are a ftrange people! They faid he was in love with me before I had been in the houfe two days; but he entered the room, where his fifter let that be as it will. One morning and I were breakfafling together: "Mifs Polly (fays he) I am come to engage you in a party to Marlow races. There is no doubt but that we fhall both be much entertained; quality, and number of horfes enterI with the sport, which from the ed, promifes to be great; and you with the beauty of the scene where the 1 1752. A DESCRIPTION of fome fine PROSPECTS. the horses are to run, which, per- 587 ance does the river of Thames make, playing along thofe fpacious mea. dows, which for firmness of foil, and delicacy of verdure, have not their parallel in Europe? The town before us, which from hence feems incircled with trees, is Great Marlow, moft happily fituated in the midst of the valley upon the verge of the Thames. Obferve, Madam, (continues he, but I am fure there was no occafion to bid me) oblerve the winding courfe of the river; foon as ever it has paffed Marlow, it makes a fudden turn this way, and dividing its current, forms all those little islands now in view; then, uniting again, rushes on in full ftream against the foot of the hill we ftand on. The waters, checked by C the ftroke, fwell, as you fee, into a kind of lake; and then taking another turn, glide flowly on under the fhade of this hanging wood in one continued courfe along the mountain's foot, for a length of almost two miles." B We let out the next morning to the number of 7, 3 gentlemen and 4 ladies, all mounted on horseback, under the guidance of Mr. W, who knowing how much I delighted in feeing a beautiful country (tho' not more than himfelf, were the truth to be fairly owned) he chole to carry us the pleasantest way rather than the neareft; fo that leave ing Maidenhead on our left, we paffed by Cookham, and afcended the fouth fide of a high eminence, called Quarry hill, on the fummit of which we left our horfes with our lervants, and following our conductor thro' a beech wood near a D quarter of a mile, were brought (when we least expected it) to the north edge of the hill, and furprized with compleat view over the moit enchanting valley ever beheld in my life: "There (ays he) Mifs Molly, feast your eyes with this profpect, and tell me, if your favourite vale of Tempe, as described by your favourite poet, in his verles to the memory of Sir Ifaac Newton, comes up to it ?" The admiration I was ftruck with kept me filent, and E There is no expreffing how eagerly my eyes devoured every object my ears heard defcribed: "But pray, Sir (fays I, perceiving he had done fpeaking) what white buildings are thofe I fee yonder upon our right hand farther down the river, which look like an old caftle rifing amidst a venerable cluster of trees?" "Thofe buildings (fays he) are Little Marlow. That ancient feat, that church, and that tower, do indeed from hence appear extremely picturesque." "They very much refemble (fays I) gave him an opportunity of pro- Fa fine defcription in Milton's Al ceeding: "As you (continues he) legro: Strait my eye hath caught new pleasures, While the landscape round it measures; Towers and battlements it fees, Bofom'd high with tufted trees, Where perhaps fome beauty lies, The Cynolure of neighbouring eyes." I had hardly finished thefe lines, when a well dreffed gentleman (who, unobferved among the trees, had 4 F been Cyn fure is the old Greek name for the most northern conftellation in the beavers, where the polar flar is feen; which, before the invention of the compafs, was the chief guide for navigators so jail by. 383 A curi us Account of MARLOW RACES. been admiring the profpect as well as than doubled with being in it, when, to The courfe was pofted out near the Thames, that ran along the foot of a fteep and lofty hill covered with trees, which extending from the fummit to the bafe, hung over the river in a manner extremely romantick. This wood, juft opposite the distancepoft, makes a femicircular opening of confiderable extent; which was filled with fpectators chiefly of the female fex, who, from the obliquity of the ground rifing one above another in a kind of theatrical order, covered the flope quite up to the trees, that were alfo loaden in the front with boys clustering, upon the foremost branches, as they judged they should best fee the horfes run. This declivity, thus enriched with a moft crowded affembly of country laffes, all drefled out with their best gowns, red, E green, yellow and blue, prefented in the fun, then fining extremely bright, fuch a beautiful appearance of colours, and fuch a ftill more beautiful appearance of chearful countenances, as rendered it the moit gay, and the most joyous spectacle I had ever feen. The drum now beating, Mr. Wtook notice that the race would foon begin, and ftationed us in a place he had chofen out as the most advantageous to command the sport. App longing to lord Onflow, and many people The entered horfes affembled at the Barting poft, with their riders dreffed in filk waiftcoats of different colours, to render themfelvcs more diftinguishable. Aaron's was fcarlet, Highlander's plod, and Camilla's fky blue. All the horfes feemed impatient of the bit, till the beat of drum, reheving their reftraint, they fprang forward, and fwept along with great appearance of eafe as well as fwiftC nefs. The courfe had something in it very fingular, and, as I thought very pretty. There was large piece of arable land, incircled like an island, with meadow; round which the horses ran twice, and then ftretching away down the long mead, vanished from our fight in a few moments, F There were fix horfes entered, but of thefe no more than three were efteemed by the best judges to have any fhare in the plate, Aaron, Highlander, and Camilla; each of which had its particular ad- G mirers. Aaron was a trong horfe of lord Craven's breed, and the number of fportfmen ready to lay on his head feemed greatly fuperior to any of the others. Highlander was a horfe of reputation be All before me now was one great fcene of hurry and confufion. Every perfon's fpirits feemed upon the wing; while men, women, horfes, chariots, phaetons, and coaches, hoping to better their stations, flew over the field an hundred different ways, and croffed each other with that precipitance and diforder, as made me apprehenfive, left one half of the company hould be trampled down by the other; but to my great joy, as well as wonder, not a fingle person was hurt. After the noife and bustle was in fome degree fubfided, Aaron and Highlander appeared in fight, far before the reft, fweeping along the courfe by the fide of one another, with fuch equal pace, as rendered it difficult to name the foremost ; but, on their reaching the distance poft, Aaron made a fudden pufh, and gained ground; which Highlander, tho' feverely preffed with the whip, was never able to recover till Aaron had paffed the goal, and won the heat. Camilla came in the laft but two, and little more than faved her diftance. I was extremely forry to fee her make fo inaufpicious a beginning; but could not help rallying Mr. W, for being thus greatly milled by beauty in the choice of a horfe to bet on; and begged he would profit from the example, in the more important choice of a wife. «Indeed, Madam 1752. MARLOW Races. Arithmetical Question. Madam, (replies Mr, W) you lay rae under great obligation, in letting your regard for my fuccefs make you plead against the power of an excellence you poffefs yourself in fo very high degree: However, I am far from believing that Camilla's beauty has deceived me; becaufe I ftill think fhe will win. Did you not obferve how hard the preffed to get. forward; and with what difficulty the was held back by her rider? Affure yourfelf it was done to fave her, while the other two were running one another down; and next heat you will fee her make a figure." There was a gentleman on horfeback very near me, dreffed in a close frock. with large flat plate buttons, a jockey cap, round wig, plain (hirt, buckskin breeches, tight boots, and short firrups ;) who, all the while Mr. W-- was, speaking to me, kept looking at him with a moft contemptuous grin, upon his face. "I will lay you (fays he) 401, to 20l. that Camilla does not win the plate, and 30l. to 201. that Aaron does. Mr. W accepted both wagers, to my great concern, as believing, he would certainly lofe: However, I altered my opinion on feeing the fecond heat; in which Camilla and Highlander, leaving the other horfes as far behind as Highlander and Aaron had done before, paffed the distance poft together; but while all the beholders were expecting to fee a hard ftruggle, Camilla fprang away from her competitor, and won the heat with great cafe. Upon this fuccefs I made fome apology for having fufpected that Camilla's intrinfick merit would fall short of her beauty;.. and then paid fome compliments to Mr. W-'s better judgment, which had led him to the winning fide. "That is not fo certain (fays he) for Aaron has Bow been kept back as much as Camilla was before; the laft heat therefore will fhew us the most equal contest, and, in confequence, the best sport." 589 When the interval of rest was over, Camilla and Aaron started by themselves; andy after having ran twice round the circular part of the courfe, foon got beyond the command of our fight in their flight down the trait meadow. Every beholder now, even those whọ had laid no bets, found themfelves very ftrongly interested in the fuccefs, either on one fide or the other; and we waited their return with impatience. At length they came in view, and Aaron was foremoft, to the inexpreffible joy of all his friends; but while they were shouting at the fight, Camilla got before him half length: Joy then went over to her party; and their tranfports were as ftrong as loud, but likewife is fleeting: For Aaron, during their hours, gained ground; which was hardly proclaim'd by the hollow of his adherents, when the acclamations of her's declared the had again recovered it. In fhort, both horfes won and loft the lead three times in the space of half a minute: But when they paffed the dif tance-poft Aaron was firft, and had been fo for fome moments; infomuch that Camilla's friends were ready to defpair, when her rider had recourfe to the whip; upon the firft application the was brought abreaft with her competitor; and upon · the fecond, ahead of him half a length. Aaron's rider then thought proper to brandish the fame weapon, and both fides exercifed it with equal finartnefs, but very different effect; for Aaron fwer; ving fideways at every stroke, loft ground; while Camilla fpringing forward, won the heat. Thus, my dear friend, I have given you a very particular account of the first day's races at Marlow; having been led into the detail by thofe beautiful fcenes furrounding the courfe, and variety of incidents attending the heats; which far excelled every thing of the kind I had ever feen before. **, near Windfor, I am, &c. ANSWERS to the QUESTIONS in our Magazine for June lafl, p. 264. by the Propofer. The ANSWER to the ARITHMETICAL QUESTION. Ꭺ. A. R. P. 24. 111. 25. 6d. 2. q. 7040 |