and attention. But to enter into the subject, and its connexion in detail, would far exceed the limits which must be kept in view. Few individuals, it is to be feared, (in comparison to the general bulk of mankind) duly appreciate this most inestimable endowment; the loss of which, would deprive us of almost every privilege in secular attainments; as well as most of our social enjoyments. In a word, the disadvantages we should labour under, would be innumerable. And when we consider that we are daily enjoying the benefit of those useful and wonderful organs, it should be rendered the means of exciting in our breasts, emotions of gratitude to that great and good Being to whom we are indebted for life, and all its various sources of enjoyment. The disposition of the eyes is admirable. They are placed in the highest part of the body, to command distant prospects; and at a certain depth, surrounded with hard solid bones, that they may not be liable to injury. They move easily in the socket in all directions; they are wiped and protected by the lids that keep perpetually opening and shutting. The eye-lashes save them from too strong a light, and are safeguards in numberless in stances. The interior structure of the eye is still more curious. The whole is composed of coats, of humours, and muscles. The outside coat is called the cornea; it is perfectly transparent to admit the rays of light, and hard as horn, to resist the small blows and shocks to which it is liable. Behind the cornea is another membrane, called the uvea, which is circular, and coloured. In the middle of this there is an opening which is called the pupil, it appears black, and becomes greater or less according to the degree of light to which it is exposed. Behind the uvea, are three other substances behind one another; the first is the aqueous, or watery humour; the second is a crystalline kind of substance; and the third is called the virtreous humour, because, in appearance, it resembles melted glass. Beyond these, is a substance called the retina, or net-work, on which the images of all objects whatever, that we see, are painted; and, connected with the retina, is the optic nerve, which communicates with the brain, and gives the mind the sense of sight. The structure of the eye is not more wonderful, than the nature of vision is astonishing. No object can become visible to us, unless rays of light proceed from it and fall upon our eyes. These rays, which minister the sense of sight, are, perhaps, the most wonderful part of inanimate creation, both on account of their extreme minuteness, and the inconceivable velocity with which * For a more extensive explication, see a Treatise on Optics. VOL. XXXVI. JANUARY, 1813. *F* they travel from the sun, viz. at the rate of half a million of miles in a minute. A consideration also, which may justly excite our wor·ler is, that the largest objects are painted in our eyes extremely small, and yet we see every thing according to its real size. How is it that we see, at one and the same instant, a multitude of houses, churches, and other large buildings, so completely distinct, since they are all painted on the small space contained on the retina of the eye? Another curious circumstance is, that having two eyes, on both of which the same picture is painted, yet we do not see double; in looking upon the sun or moon, though the image is distinctly formed on each eye, yet we see but one sun or one moon, and so of all other objects. The habit of seeing, from our earliest infancy, leads us to overlook the difficulties in the opera tion, and to suppose it a thing extremely simple and easy to comprehend. Nevertheless, the wisest philosopher has never yet been able, satisfactorily, to explain the manner in which we see objects. But though there is much for which the wisest among us cannot account on this subject, yet the mechanical mode of vision can be elucidated by a very easy experiment. Darken a room as completely as possible, and then let the light be admitted by a small hole; if the weather be very clear, on the wall of the room may be seen a picture of all those external objects which are opposite to the hole. The image of the objects that are stationary, as trees, houses, &c. will appear fixed; while the images of those that are in motion, will be seen to move. Now, the same thing that takes place on the wall, happens with regard to the eye, the images are painted upon it: of those that are stationary, the picture is at rest; but with regard to moving ones, the picture moves on the eye as it does on the wall. It may be observed, that the image of every object painted on the wall is inverted, because the rays cross one another on their entrance at the small hole, and people walking, appear to be walking on their heads, and those going on one side of the way, will, on the wall, seem to be walking in the opposite direction. Now, the same certainly happens to the eye, and it is a matter of astonishment, that we, nevertheless, see objects in their proper and natural position, though the image of them is inverted on the eye. The inference we may draw from this brief description of those useful and wonderful organs is, that we discover that exquisite suitableness and perfection, which nothing short of an infinite hand, could complete. A similar idea that amiable penman, Dr. Young, gives us in the following inpressive language: "Look Nature thro', 'tis neat gradation all, By what minute degrees her scale ascends! Each middle Nature join'd at each extreme, Abhor divorce: What love of union reigns!" In tracing the hand of our Creator in the works of nature, our faculties are improved, our comprehension exalted; in short, it affords to the contemplative mind, an unbounded source of information and pleasure; and whilst we view, with wonder, the works of Omnipotence, may we ever keep in mind his Omnipresence, and Omniscience, since all our actions, words, and thoughts, are perfectly known unto him. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD ASSERTED. REMARKABLE RECOVERY OF A CHILD, FROM A FALL. To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine. Dear Sir, IF you think the following authentic account worthy of a place in your useful Miscellany, you will oblige me by its early insertion. I hope it will prove a warning to those, entrusted with the care of children, to be more watchful over them, and teach us all to praise God, who is ever mindful of his creatures, in the dispensation of his Providence. Piccadilly, London, October 17, 1812. I am, your's, &c. On Saturday afternoon, Sept. 19, a most dreadful accident happened at the house of the Rt. Hon. W. Huskisson, HertfordStreet, Piccadilly. Some workmen, who had been repairing the above house, had left open the door of a garret leading to the roof. Mrs. Brown, the person who has the care of the house, sent her children up stairs to play; she being busily engaged below. Finding the door of the roof open, they both ventured out-the one a girl, near ten years of age, the other a boy, nearly six, who is the subject of this account. A great part of the roof is flat, on which are two large lanterns, or sky-lights; opposite the principal one, which lights the grand stair-case, is a kind of inclined roof which is slated: upon this the boy was attempting to climb; but before he had proceeded half way up, he lost his hold, and, on endeavouring to recover his feet, fell backwards upon the sky-light, the glass of which instantly breaking with him, he was precipitated at once to the bottom of the stairs, on the stoneSoor of the hall, a height supposed to be from fifty to sixty feet, with nothing to impede or break his fall. But though seven ribs on his left side were broken, and a violent ecchymosis was produced from the laceration of some of the intercostal arteries, yet. the vital spark was not extinguished. Mr. F., of Piccadilly, was *F2* instantly sent for, by whose immediate aid, with the assistance of Divine providence, the boy recovered so fast, that in a fortnight he was able to leave his bed. I saw him a day or two ago; he looks as well as ever, and goes to school, nor does he feel any inconvenience from the effects of his fall, save when his side is touched, or when he takes too much exercise. SINGULAR ACCOUNT OF A PROFANE SWEARER. Dear Sir, To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine. TO check vice and immorality, and build the Christian up in his most holy faith, appear to be the distinguishing characteristics of your valuable Miscellany; and the result of your efforts appears to be incalculably beneficial. To exhibit to public view the criminality of profane swearing and taking the name of God in vain, with the attendant consequences thereof, is no more than what justice and humanity demand; that, by this mean, we may deter the unwary and irreligious from falling into the like sins, and being subject to those awful judgments which the Almighty justly inflicts upon all those who set at nought his precepts. Permit me to add to the variety of similar cases which are recorded in your Work, the following occurrence, which took place on the . 11th of Nov. 1811. Perhaps, Sir, it may meet the eye of some swearing, dissipated character, and be attended with the best. Your's, truly, B. R. G. effects. "On Thursday, Nov. 11, a poor man, of the name of Moody, who conveyed turf from the fens to Mildenhall, in Suffolk, fell from his beat into the river, and was unfortunately drowned before any assistance could reach him. On the body being conveyed to a public house near the water, side in Mildenhall, the landlord of which was standing at the door, he peremptorily refused, with many horrid oaths, to receive the body into the house; but scarcely had he uttered them, when he was seized with a paralytic stroke, that deprived him of speech and the use of one side, and in that state he still continues." PRESERVATION OF CHILDREN, BY MILK. From Baxter's Life, wrillen by himself. « WHEN Prince Rupert put the inhabitants of Bolton, in Lancashire, to the sword, (men, women, and children,) an infant escaped alive, and was found lying by her father and mother, who were slain in the streets: an old woman took up the child, and carried it home, and put it to her breast for warmth, (having not had a child herself of about thirty years,) the child drew milk, and so much, that the woman nursed it up with her breast-milka good while. The committee desired some women to try her, and they found it true, and that she had a considerable proportion of milk for the child. If any one doubt of this, they may yet be resolved by Mrs. Hunt, wife to Mr. Rowland Hunt, of Har-. row-on-the-Hill, who, living then in Manchester, was one of them that, by the committee, was desired to try the woman, and who hath oft told it me, and is a credible, godly, discreet gentlewoman, and wife to a man of most exemplary holiness, and of the primitive sincerity, without self-seeking hypocrisy and guile. The maid herself, thus nursed up, lived afterwards in London. "This putteth me in mind of that worthy servant of Christ, Dr. Teat, who, being put to flee suddenly with his wife and children from the fury of the Irish rebels, in the night, without provision, wandered in the snow, out of all ways, upon the mountains, till Mrs. Teat, having no suck for the child in her arms, and he being ready to die with hunger, she went to the brow of a rock to lay him down, and leave him that she might not see him die, and there, in the snow, out of all ways where no footsteps appeared, she found a suck-bottle full of new, sweet milk, which preserved the child's life." THE GRACE OF GOD MANIFESTED, IN A BRIEF MEMOIR OF THE LATE MRS. ANN FORSHAW, OF LIVERPOOL. ANN FORSHAW was born in the year 1756, at Frodsham, in Cheshire. Her parents were moral people; but what may be termed morality, was the height of their religious views. They were members of the Established Church, and, as such, instructed their offspring, when capable of discernment, in its catechism, constantly impressing upon their minds the duty of an observance of the Lord's day, and regularly accompanying them to públic worship. At a very early period of her life, she had frequent remonstrances of conscience, but they were as often discarded. She has been heard to declare, that on seeing an oven heated, or a large fire, from the dreadful thought of the torments of hell, her mind has been struck with unspeakable horror, and that she was thus led to form resolutions of amendment of life; but resolutions, formed in human strength, are weak indeed! While she was still young, she entered into the state of matrimony, and soon after, her father died, when she became more serious, and though her seriousness, perhaps, at that time did not originate in any religious motive, yet it no doubt prepared her mind for the reception of those divine impressions which were afterwards effectual to the salvation of her soul. About the year 1773, she heard a sermon by one of the Metho dist preachers in this town, which affected her much; and she resolved to be present at the next, and accordingly attended the |