is not piety alone which is needed, nor strength of body, nor vigour of mind, nor firmness of character, nor purity of taste; but all these united. Ought not this subject to awaken the attention of our most philanthropic and gifted minds? Ought not public libraries to be collected with this main purpose-to furnish stimulant to call forth all possible native talents and hidden energies? Ought not the systems of discipline and instruction at all our colleges, to be framed, and to be administered, with a distinct and declared regard to the benefits which selftaught genius, with the superadded effects of thorough instruction, can confer upon the millions of our country? Every parent, and every instructor, should employ special means to bring his children or his pupils into such circumstances, and place in their way such books and other means, as will develop the original tendencies of their minds, and lead them into the path of high attainment and usefulness. Every educated man is under great responsibilities to bring into the light and to cherish all the talent which may come under his influence. Vast treasures of thought, of noble feeling, of pure and generous aspirations, and of moral and religious worth, exist unknown-are never called forth to adorn human nature, and to bless mankind. To provide intellectual and moral sustenance for our population, requires an enlargement of thought and an expansiveness of philanthropy, such as has never yet been exhibited This nation needs what was conferred on Solomon, "wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore." How pitiable and how deplorable are many of the contests between politi. cal parties, benevolent societies, and religious denominations. While thus contending with one another, we are

losing the favourable moment for effort; and we are preparing to have heaped upon our heads the curses of an unnumbered posterity. To live simply as insulated beings, is a great error, and a serious injustice to posterity. We must take our stand on fundamental principles, and set those great wheels in motion, which, in their revolution, are to spread light, and life, and joy through the land. While we place our whole dependence on the goodness and the grace of the Ruler of the universe, we must act as those who recollect their origin, and are conscious of the high destiny to which Providence calls them.

Let us come up to our great and most interesting work. Let us lift our eyes on the fields, boundless in extent, and white already to the harvest. Here in this age and country let the tide of ignorance be stayed; let human nature assume its renovated form; let the flame of human intellect rise, and sweetly mingle with the source of all inental light and beauty; purified by the highest influences of true Christian faith and love, let our character and labours be such, that we shall send forward to the most distant posterity, a strong and steady light. We must take no middle ground. We must bring to the great work of illuminating this country and of blessing mankind, every capability of mind and of heart, which we posesses every possibility of the power which God has given to us.

BIOGRAPHY

OF

SELF-TAUGHT MEN.

JAMES COOK.

EVERY science is closely connected with many other sciences, and an advance in one is sure to be followed by an advance in others. Of this the recent improvements in the science of geography are a memorable illustration. It is an interesting fact in the history of science, that we are indebted for an accurate knowledge of our earth to a previous knowledge of the heavens. The wandering stars have taught us where stand fixed the everlasting hills. It would seem that mere curiosity would have long since prompted men to enlarge to the utmost the boundaries of geographical knowledge, and to have at least determined the situation of places with considerable accuracy. But curiosity, although it has accomplished much, has had many things to contend with. Extensive explorations are attended with great cost. Men went with timidity -the timidity of ignorance and superstition-into the

regions that lay much beyond the bounds of civiliz tion; where, besides, there was little to tempt them. and much that was really formidable to deter. The condition and character of governments rendered them indifferent to the state of geographical knowledge, or incapable of extending it; and, above all, want of skill in navigation hindered maritime discoveries; and the absence of proper instruments and of general scientific attainments prevented an accurate determination of what was known. The early travellers were for the most part merchants, and it may be said, generally, that geography was but a very humble attendant upon

commerce.

The Cape of Good Hope was not discovered until 1486. The celebrated voyage to India by Vasco de Gama, the great Portuguese navigator, did not take place till 1497. In the mean time, in 1492, Columbus had found another world. Knowledge advanced with rapid strides through new fields, but yet was neglect. ful of much that lay scattered about the old. It became general, but had not become accurate and

severe.

We should think that few things in geography would be determined sooner than the size and shape of wellknown kingdoms, and the position of important places. Yet even now ignorance in these respects is not very uncommon. What discrepancies, for example, in fixing the position of towns in Mexico! Different maps place the same city at points two hundred miles distant from each other. How imperfectly have the coasts of even the old civilized nations been mapped out, until comparatively modern times! Countries

which contained all the science of the world could not accurately give their own shape and dimensions. Italy, before the time of D'Anville (the earlier part of the eighteenth century,) was thought to be considerably larger than it really is; and that distinguished geographer was considered a very bold man in venturing to reduce it to proper magnitude. When the map of France was corrected by astronomical observations, it was found necessary to cut off more than a degree of longitude along the western coast, from Brittany to the southern part of the Bay of Biscay, and more than half a degree from the shores of Languedoc and Provence; which led Louis XIV. to say to the astronomers by whom the measurements were corrected, that "he was sorry to observe that their journey had cost him a large portion of his kingdom."

It was not until astronomy had made considerable advances, that geographical errors, of which the above are but specimens, began to be corrected. The discovery of the satellites of Jupiter, in 1610, by Galileo, furnished an important means for determining longitude with accuracy. It was many years, however, before the requisite tables and calculations were made, and the telescope perfected, so as to enable astronomers to avail themselves of this discovery. In 1671, one of the first effective observations was made to determine the difference in longitude between Paris and the observatory of Tycho Brahe, at Uraniberg, in Denmark.

In England the name of Halley is held in high honour among men of science, for many attainments and discoveries, and, among the rest, for applying the