Anonymous

“ Heat, the cause of many wonders—Its universal diffusion and application—Story of a burning-glass—The Augustine friars and the Jesuits—Impostures as to the endurance of heat—Burning mirrors—The blow-pipe—The Giants’ Causeway—Application of currents of heated air—Travelling by steam.
Heat is everywhere present: every body that exists contains it in quantity to which we can assign no limits. The endless variety of forms which are spread over and beautify the surface of the globe, are to be traced to its influence. ”

“ The portable camera obscura, represented by the diagram, has often yielded much pleasure in the domestic circle, while the larger ones, which are publicly exhibited, are highly interesting. No person, perhaps, has witnessed the neatness of outline, the precision of form, the truth of colouring, and the sweet gradations of tint, thus apparent, without regretting that an imagery so exquisite and faithful to nature could not be made to fix itself permanently on the tablet of the machine. ”

“ At the close of a sultry day, and above level plains, the opposite electricities of the earth and the air effect their re-union in noiseless flashes of lightning, illuminating, as it were, in far-spread sheets, the whole circuit of the horizon, and the entire canopy of the clouds. ”

“ This sensation may gradually creep over the whole frame; the patient becoming, in more senses than one, truly etherealized; reduced to the condition of no body and all soul. The objects around are either lost sight of or strangely perverted; fancied shadows flit before the eyes, and then a dream sets in—sometimes calm and placid, sometimes active and bustling, sometimes very pleasurable, sometimes frightful, as a nightmare. Emerging, the figures and scenes shift rapidly, and grow fainter and fainter ”

“ The figures in ‘The Ladder’ are prettily arranged, but the face of the boy is distorted, from the circumstance of its being so very near the edge of the field of view embraced by the lens of the camera obscura. In looking at this photograph, we are led at once to reflect on the truth to nature observed by Rembrandt, in the disposition of his lights and shadows. We have no violent contrasts; even the highest lights and the deepest shadows seem to melt into each other, and the middle tints are but the harmonizing gradations. ”

“ I had fallen in with an account of Benjamin Franklin’s electrical kite, and a kite being a very common object with school-boys, and a string steeped in salt-water with a glass-handle to it not difficult to be had, I speedily flew my kite, and obtained abundance of sparks (like those obtained from an electrical machine) . An old woman, curious to see what I was about, was too tempting an opportunity to not to give her a shock, which so frightened her, that she spread abroad in the village that I was no better than I should be, for that I was drawing down fire from heaven. ”

“ It must be supposed that the apostles, sensible men in other cases, chose precisely those places and those times which were most unfavourable to their views. It must be supposed that millions madly suffered imprisonments, tortures, and crucifixion, to spread an illusion. It must be supposed that ten thousand miracles were wrought in favour of falsehoods, or all these facts must be denied. And then, it must be supposed that the apostles were idiots, that the enemies of Christianity were idiots, and that all the primitive Christians were idiots. ”

“ Light and its phenomena—Magic pictures—The optical paradox—Chinese metallic mirrors—Effect of an optical instrument on a superstitious mind—Origin of photography—The Talbotype—The Daguerreotype—Sunlight pictures.
The cause of those sensations which we refer to the eyes, or that which produces the sense of seeing, is light. The phenomena of vision have always been regarded as among the most interesting branches of natural science. The knowledge of the laws which regulate the phenomena of light, constitutes the science of optics, which explains the cause of many most striking illusions. ”

“ As a man’s signature gives validity to his bond, or the credentials of an ambassador demonstrate his right to transact the business of his sovereign; so the supernatural works performed by the prophets, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by his apostles, prove as fully to those who witnessed them, that the words they heard proceeded from God, as if they had listened to him pronouncing them with an audible voice from the excellent glory; while all to whom their testimony has been faithfully transmitted, may cherish an equal confidence. ”

“ Hence, the same writer argues, “For want of a supernatural effect evident to sense, transubstantiation is no miracle; a sign or a miracle is always a thing sensible, otherwise it could be no sign. Now, that such a change in transubstantiation should really be wrought, and yet that there should be no sign of it, is a thing very wonderful; but not to sense, for our senses perceive no change. And that a thing should remain to all appearance just as it was, hath nothing at all wonderful in it. We wonder, indeed, when we see a strange thing done, but no man wonders when he sees nothing done.” ”

“ It is certainly a most singular sight to see a person laughing most boisterously, or strutting with all the hauteur of a newly-made potentate, suddenly subside as the action of the gas ceases, into a very unobtrusive individual.
We may now briefly allude to one of the most extraordinary applications of the present times. The late sir Humphry Davy made many experiments on the effects of various gases on the human lungs. He found, in his own person, that the inhalation of nitrous oxide removed head-ache, and greatly assuaged the pain of cutting a wisdom-tooth. ”

“ Marvellous is the forbearance of the Supreme Governor of the universe, who does not at once ease him of his adversaries, but still richly and freely offers the blessings of salvation to a world which lieth in the wicked one. Who will not desire that the goodness of God may lead the greatest transgressors to repentance? ”

“ When, however, a performer, as one has recently done, puts a whistle in the mouth of an automaton, and then, sitting down by its side, plays a tune on a guitar, desiring the figure to accompany him; the hasty sounds with which the figure seems inclined to begin, the irregularity with which it proceeds, and the long and loud closing note, may all be easily supplied by some confederate. Surprising as are the effects produced by many automata, it would be wrong to infer that their only results are the wonder of the multitude, or gain or applause to their inventors. ”

“ In the ignorance and superstition of the human mind, applications are sometimes made to those who are supposed to be endowed with magical powers. Such practices are condemned in the Scriptures as vain and wicked. Hence,153 says the prophet Isaiah, “When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,” Isa. ”

“ Without the aid of colour, with simple brown and white, so charming a result is produced, that, looking at the picture from a little distance, we are almost led to fancy that the introduction of colour would add nothing to its charm. ”

“ The reason of this is evident from the former experiment: at the equator, each pole of the needle is attracted in an equal degree by the north and south poles of the earth; but, if we proceed northward, the north pole of the magnet will be more attracted than the south, and point towards it until at last it becomes vertical. The poles of the earth’s rotation, that is, the points which would form the terminations of its axis, did it revolve on one, are not the magnetic poles; nor is the equator of the earth the magnetic equator. ”

“ In whatever way, indeed, the power of genius may invent or combine, and to whatever bad or even ludicrous purposes that invention or combination may be originally applied, society receives a gift which it can never lose ”

“ An inhabitant going in, according to custom, to offer up his adoration to the Madonna, suddenly ran out again, exclaiming, that ‘the virgin was weeping for calamity impending over the city.’ The people rushed in crowds to the church; when, lo! to their astonishment and dismay, the tears were, as reported, trickling over the cheeks of their beloved patroness; upon which, the whole multitude began to weep, and howl, and beat their breasts, expecting nothing less than an earthquake, or a French invasion. ”

“ Other instances of endurance are merely pretended. In country places, a conjurer sometimes appears in the streets, professing that he is able to eat fire; and yet he only rolls together a ball of flax or hemp, lights it, rolls round it some more of the same material, slips it cunningly into his mouth, and breathes through it to revive the flame; and so long as he inspires the air through the nostrils, and not through the mouth, he suffers no injury. ”

“ Portions, taken out, on such occasions, have been found to have a columnar appearance: the heat of the furnace having changed the form of the substance, not by any fusion of its parts, but by a peculiar arrangement of them, thus giving them the specified figure.
Another astonishing result of this natural power is seen in the eruption of a volcano. The eye of a traveller, perhaps, as it is turned towards Vesuvius, discerns a dark red spot on the mountain’s side, issuing from an orifice near to the crater. ”

“ Thus, for instance, needles of most of the remarkable metals, as well as of glass, were found to have a strong affinity for nearly every kind of substance, whether mineral, vegetable, or animal, if its density was greater than that of cork or charcoal. Brass surpassed all the metals in its power of attraction, and, what is most remarkable, the magnetic needle was the lowest of all in the scale, showing not much more than one-third of the attractive energy of soft iron. ”

“ The magic swan—Properties of the magnet—The mariners’ compass—The process of magnetizing—The dip of the needle—Magnetic properties in various substances.
A magician of former days had a figure of a swan, which floated on a vessel of water, round the rim of which were placed the twenty-four letters of the alphabet. Addressing the spectators, he was accustomed to ask for a name to be given him, and it was correctly spelt by the swan, as it moved from one letter to another till it had indicated the whole. A little philosophy, in this instance, produced repeatedly great astonishment. ”

“ On a bright sun-shining day, the drawing will be produced in one-half the time, and with far more sharpness of outline, than on a dull wintry day, when the sun struggles with the mists by which its radiant beams are encumbered. ”

“ The light of modern science has revealed to us many important secrets. In the dark ages there were but few books; it was then the fashion to write them in Latin; and as, from their costliness, they could only be obtained by men of wealth, so they could be understood alone by such as had enjoyed the advantages of education. ”

“ And, as one act of submission to the prince of the power of the air is a fearful step towards an absolute and eternal thraldom, it becomes each of us to imitate those who could say, “We are not ignorant of his devices;” ”

“ Came down by Jesus’ hands.”
It has been well remarked by Bacon, that “it is heaven on earth to live in charity, to turn upon the poles of truth, and to rest in Providence.” The tenderness and minuteness of the Divine care are taught us by our Lord himself: “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? ”