For this the moon thro' heav'ns blue concave glides,
And into motion charms th' expanding tides;
While earth impetuous round her axle rolls,
Exalts her watʼry zone, and sinks the poles.'

I think, papa, I can repeat some lines

on the same subject.

"The horned moon renews

Her waning light, and her whole visage shews:
Fulfils her course in circles yet unknown,
And cheers mankind with lustre not her own.
Pale terror flies before her friendly ray,

The traveller, benighted, finds his way :
Her destin'd rule o'er ocean she presides,
And pours upon the shore the lagging tides."1

1 "When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens. The seas also are obedient to the command of Him who gathered the waters together at the first. Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed." Job xxxviii. 11.

'Thus far shall thy flux and reflux extend. The tides are marvellously limited and regulated, not only by the lunar and solar attraction, but by the quantum of time required to remove any part of the earth's surface, by its rotation round its axis, from under the immediate attractive influence of the sun and moon. Hence the attraction of the sun and moon, and the gravitation of the sea to its own centre, which prevent too great a flux on the one hand, and too great reflux on the other, are some of those bars and doors by which its proud waves are stayed and prevented from coming further.'

"Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh

The moon's lustre is indeed a borrowed

one, Georgiana.

'Turn'd to the sun, direct her spotted disk

Shews mountains rise, umbrageous dales descend,
And caverns deep, as optic tube descries.'

The attraction of the particles of bodies for each other, is exemplified by small quantities of water, or other

fluids, which, when dropped upon a flat surface, form themselves into spherical masses.

'That very law which moulds a tear, And bids it trickle from its source, That law preserves the earth a sphere,

And guides the planets in their course.'

lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries." Ps. cxxxv, 6, 7.

'He causes the small aqueous particles to evaporate, and to ascend into the atmosphere as vapour, and then by the gravity of the air, to be suspended at different heights in the form of clouds, as reservoirs for the purpose of furnishing rain for watering the earth.'

It may with much propriety be said, that by wisdom He made the heavens.

'In the contrivance of the celestial bodies-in their specific gravities, revolutions, connexions, influences on each other, revolutions, &c.; and in the wonderful adaptation of the atmosphere, for the purpose of refracting the light, forming rain, dew, snow, &c. are exhibited the most astonishing displays of the divine wisdom.'

We are in a very poetic humour to-day, papa, I think.

I think so too, Georgiana; I like to be able to recollect and apply the beautiful effusions of our celebrated poets, to the subjects we are upon. Now, however, it is time to conclude our conversation. Your mamma is probably waiting breakfast for us.

CONVERSATION VI.

"He spake and it was done, he commanded and it stood still."

THE wet weather, and visitors, have caused a long interruption, my dear child, to our conversations; but I trust that the last subject we were upon has not passed from your recollection.

No indeed, papa, and I have every day been longing to renew it; and have been storing my memory with some hymns, which I think you will like me to repeat. Sometimes I feel, papa, as if the works of the Creator are too sublime and awful for

my thoughts to dwell upon. "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it."

'The sky's a veil, the outward scene
Proclaims the majesty within;

Which boundless light, tho' hid behind,
Breaks out too great to be confined.

The heav'n thy glorious impress wears,
Thy image glitters in the stars;
The firmament, thine high abode,
Seems, too, the spangled robe of God.

Whene'er its beauty I admire,
Its radiant globes direct me higher,
In silent praise they point to thee,
All light, all eye, all majesty !

Yes, Lord, each shining orb declares
Thy name in dazzling characters;
As precious gems they dart their rays,
And seem to form a crown of praise.'

All that is right and necessary; the Holy Spirit will teach you, and guide you in the way of all truth, Georgiana.

Yes, dear papa, that I believe, and every study which points out Jesus to me as my all-sufficient Saviour, is what I take most comfort and pleasure in. "The heavens declare the glory of God." In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

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