proportioned in number and position to their needs? If it be any legitimate step in the argument from design, that our moon is longer above the horizon, and rides higher in the zenith, when our nights are longest and darkest, to what but design shall he attribute the arrangement in the motions of Jupiter's satellites, whereby it is impossible they should all be at once below the horizon? If the rotation of our earth, and the inclination of its axis of revolution to its orbitual plane, produce such obvious and useful effects on the vicissitudes of days and seasons, what shall be supposed the purpose of the like phanomena in planets more noble in their proportions than

our own?

We may well conceive such lines of thought to give rise to very curious conjectures in a contemplative mind, especially if the imagination be warm. But perhaps our astronomer, having learned many a lesson of cautious induction, and a wholesome dread of mere conjecture, in the school of practical science, forbears to proclaim, or even to encourage, the thoughts that brood within him. If strange fancies of previous existence on diverse orbs seem to him to involve, possibly, some distantly approximate solution of the mystic avάuvnois, which comes at moments across us all, saying, 'I have been in this scene, or acted in this combination of circumstances before!' or if the congregation of different elements from different spheres on one terrestrial stage might haply account for the conflict of opinions, and sympathics, and interests around us, he checks such wandering imaginations as, perhaps, not altogether reverent, and certainly not as yet necessitated by any scientific induction. But still the semi-conviction remains, These wonders and complex systems were made for some use; their marvellous resemblance to our own suggests that that use was not wholly dissimilar from ours.'

6

We do not think that any valuable suggestion has ever been thrown out to explain the use of the planets to ourselves. There are, it would appear, persons to whom it seems satisfactory to imagine, that the kingly Jupiter with his attendant moons, the glorious Saturn and his triplicate girdle, the stately Uranus, and that interesting stranger,' whom the obstetric arts of Adams and Le Verrier guided to its birth (and whom the tardy incredulity of our observers has prevented our claiming as indisputably our own), exist, and have existed, only to win the admiring study of Chaldæan shepherds, to perplex the brains and tangled horoscopes of planet-stricken astrologers, to puzzle speculators, to furnish a Theory' for the Senate House, and finally to be gazed at by themselves through the great Northumberland! Or, perhaps, they deem it cause enough for the crea

6

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tion of Venus that she should, at rare intervals, transit the sun's disc, and determine our distance from that orb, while it may be sufficient reason for the existence of the other planets, that some such recondite use may be hereafter discovered for them also! Was ever dream so self-complacent? Had vision ever fabric so baseless? What is this but to bid the sun and the moon and the eleven stars to make obeisance unto us?' Meanwhile men are born, and struggle on, and die; and are reproduced in descendants, who are born, and struggle on, and die again; and what wot they of lunar theory and planetary disturbance, and determination of longitude, and exploded planets, and exploded theories? Yet without such information, it is certain that they can never learn the magnificent lessons which these orbs can teach the votaries of science, and which, we are told, are sufficient reason for their creation. If, then, it is for man that they were created, how is it that the overwhelming mass of men have not a single correct notion about them? For man Why, of course they were, like all other of God's works, created (among other and, it may be, more special uses) for man! For all men to admire in the spangled firmament, for some men to study with more inquiring ken, for the thoughtful to exclaim, with deepest awe and humblest consciousness of insignificance: O Thou that hast set Thy glory above the Heavens, when I consider Thy Heavens, the work of Thy 'fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that Thou visitest him!' Of course, they were created for man! Incidentally, they may help him in his approach to God; but can we conceive, even on a survey of the planets alone, that those wondrous constitutions, of which the most splendid and the most delicate objects were never seen by any man, and of which the laws and harmony were utterly unintelligible to any man, before the age of Newton-can we conceive that those systems, which are even now utterly unknown to all but a few philosophers, and concerning which even philosophers' wisdom is comparative ignorance, were made specially for man?

How are these convictions strengthened by further insight into the universe? Every well educated man of the present age will have had thoughts such as we have sketched out before his mind. But they to whom Science has unrolled her ample page have further convictions based on, perhaps, we ought hardly to say higher argument, but, at all events, irresistible impressions. Unless, indeed, our star-gazers read, as read the astronomer of Uz, backwards, they can hardly fail to concede the force of argument to the analogies which negative

the barren solitude of the stars which pave Heaven's floor. Shall man arrogate to himself the lordship of the universe, when he finds the distance from the nearest of self-luminous bodies to his own to be all but immeasurable, and perfectly inconceivable? What, was it for me that all the dusted tract of the Milky Way has for ages and ages (if it be yet in existence) poured forth floods of light which is at my distance too feeble to be well perceptible? But perhaps it has ceased, long myriads ago, to exist at all. Supposing it to have done so, it is quite certain that I have no means of knowing it. Not even light itself could be a messenger speedy enough to announce it. Shall I imagine that the hazy fleeces of light, which, till a year or two ago, no telescope had revealed even thus imperfectly, exist but to puzzle my curiosity? Foolish thought! Is it not certain that there are millions of stars in the vaults of space which even the telescope of Lord Rosse will never reveal to me? even as there are multitudes of beasts and plants and monsters which earth and ocean hold beyond my ken below. Is it not possible that worlds have come into being, and have long ceased to be, of which no ray has yet brought intelligence to so remote a corner of space? And shall I imagine that these things exist for me?

We think that such a strain of thought cannot but be obvious to a very common-place thinker. No doubt it will assume different guises in different minds. Perhaps many people have never given it expression or shape, even to so slender an extent. Probably, not a few have developed it far beyond these meagre limits. But there is no doubt that it is immensely enhanced by probabilities of a religious character. It is true that religious thought has also its objections to offer, and its difficulties to suggest. It is certain that a religious frame of mind will rather prefer to stop short of, than to exceed the limits of reverent speculation. But without transgressing these limits, and deferring awhile the discussion of the difficulties which the insignificance of our world is supposed to occasion to pious minds, we may remark, that a vast deal of religious difficulty may find a possible mitigation in the theory to which our hypothetical astronomer cannot fail to have been conducted by such reflections as we have supposed him to indulge, although he may not have ventured to express it. The theory that the population of our globe forms but a mere speck in the intelligent and spiritual Life of the Universe of God, even as they and their abode constitute a mere atom in dimensions, suggests very obvious consolations to a mind overpowered and depressed by the sad aspect of things immediately around it. We do not remember to have seen it suggested in mitigation of the existence of evil, except in a small and ephemeral tract on Future Punishment,' which

appeared a few years ago at Cambridge. But the germ of the thought itself is contained in Butler's Works. And we know that the thought itself, that there are other nobler and purer worlds, which are free from taint and misery, has brought solace to minds which might else have staggered at the contemplation of the woe, past, present, and future, which this world holds out to view. This, for aught we know, may be the one stage and battle-field in the universe whereon the contest of right and wrong must be fought out. There may, as Bishop Butler tells us, be some à priori necessity in the very nature of things which renders the existence of evil necessary. That the great battle should be fought, that there should be somewhere exhibited a grand drama of probation, may be the sole condition of the ultimate glory and welfare of the vast majority. What if this small earth be the scene?

We desire to speak with all reverence on a very awful subject, about which God has left us in ignorance, and about which wisdom (if attainable) would perhaps be folly. But surely we shall not offend the most devout and humble mind, by stating the possibilities which have suggested themselves to patient thought, a-weary of a sinful world. Far be it from us to speculate too curiously, far less to utter dogmata on a theme whereon we are confessedly-and not, perhaps, deplorably—ignorant. But to us the perplexity which too dominant evil and pain force upon every thoughtful mind, seems so readily mitigated by the idea that there may be, rather than the belief that there are, multitudes of worlds where no such miseries have place, that we cannot but suffer it to bias the opinion, and to suggest the belief. That this world should be so trifling in magnitude and importance, compared with the countless orbs which throng throughout all space, seems, under such an aspect of things, only to suggest thoughts of grateful adoration. Here only, it may be, within these confined limits, may evil now abound. Here only may that painful sight be witnessed, of wrong and mischief apparently triumphant. And even here we know that fearful victory is but apparent. For here-here only-has an incarnate and suffering God deigned to wage the war, and vanquish the giant foe; exhibiting to all creation, by the spectacle of such a contest on such an unimportant world, the awful power and malignity of sin.

But here we pause. Reverence for sacred things, and a vivid sense of the incomparable superiority of revealed truth to speculative possibility, forbids our carrying theory further. Let us leave religious guess-work to the Millenarian.

But we must remark that thus far it would appear we might have been legitimately conducted, even if the existence of other

spheres and systems had been as hypothetical as is their use. Had there been no such science as Astronomy, pious thought might have engendered the wish, the hope, the opinion, that there might be other worlds. When to these possibilities-to say no more-are added the generalisations and analogies of physical science, opinion is strengthened until it becomes, if not belief, yet an impression of no ordinary strength, that the highest of God's known creations, intelligent spiritual natures, find their counterpart, or are far transcended in the inhabitants of starry systems.

To such conclusions, as we before remarked, does a liberal education appear to conduct the individual intellect. Such are the directions in which the drift of well-informed popular conviction has steadily set. Such are the notions which the works before us profess to sift. How do our philosophers discuss them?

One of the most distinguished ornaments of one of the most distinguished bodies in the world, has put forth a volume on the opinions in question. Like all his other works, it evidences very great faculties of mind, very comprehensive capacity of intellect, very extensive acquaintance with every branch of physical science; moreover, very clumsy and disorderly notions of logic, and a marvellous inelegance in the use of English. We have a very methodical way of reading books. We first read the title outside; then the title inside; next the preface; and then the contents. We shall say no more respecting the title-page than we have already remarked; only observing, in passing, that the author would appear to consider, from his choice of title, that language is an instrument for the concealment of thought. On passing to the table of contents, we beg leave to submit that it is startling to find all the CONTENTS' OF THE PLURALITY OF WORLDS' on a single page! What we had expected were, 'Contents of Of the Plurality of Worlds; an Essay.' We must confess our disappointment at the confused arrangement, and bewildering method, which this table presents to our view. Would that men would condescend to think according to the obvious laws of thought, or at least to refrain from imposing on others the task of unravelling their own perplexities! Why cannot a man, who has bestowed so much thought on his subject as our author displays, be at the pains to arrange his own ideas before he begins to write? It is perfectly obvious that the author of 'OF, &c.' never sketches out an analysis of the subject-matter before him, and of the mode in which it shall be handled. His writing reminds one,

1 Altered in later editions.