contrary, they first set forth the rudiments of such philosophy in the circumstantial language of history; and subsequently enjoin its search in the sublimest strains of poetry, and extol the pleasures and advantages of its discovery in the attractive charms of proverb and of song.

First, as regards the rudiments and goodness of philosophical knowledge; secondly, as enjoining its search; and, thirdly, as extolling its discovery.

The Scriptures thus testify:

I. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," et seq.

"And God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good."

II. "The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein."

Worthy, that is, of being inquired into, and studied by all that delight in obedience to His will; and such only can appreciate His power.

III. "

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding."

The refined joy and happiness of the man that finds pure knowledge, are here-to suit human comprehension. -likened to the ordinary elation and gladness of the man that either directly finds a pure vein of precious metal, or indirectly succeeds in getting or drawing it out in purity and value from an ore by his own application and labor; the terms "finding" and "getting," as in remote ages, are even now employed for denoting such discoveries.

The inestimable worth of pure knowledge is then placed in direct and powerful contrast with the insignificant value of metallic riches.

"For the merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold."

Truly inestimable are the varied phenomena presented in the wide realm of Nature throughout the revolving year; and those we cannot comprehend, still awaken in our minds the most glowing feelings of gratitude and admiration.

Thus the physical cause of the blue color of the sky cannot be satisfactorily explained through the medium of science; and yet at all seasons, we acknowledge its surpassing beauty, more especially, perhaps, in Autumn.

The atmosphere immediately incumbent upon the earth, has probably the power of absorbing and retaining more of the blue rays of light than that at greater altitudes; and thus, when we cast our eyes on high, we look through a volume of the densest air, replete with blue light; and so likewise, if we look abroad over an extensive tract of country, the horizon of which is formed by distant hills, they appear blue, or, in other words, they partake of the color of the medium through which they are viewed; if we journey to them, their blue color gradually vanishes, and at length their ordinary colors appear; and now, looking from the hills towards the spot from whence we journeyed, it in turn appears blue.

"The ridge called 'The Blue Mountains,' in Australia, another of the same name in America, and many others elsewhere, are not really blue, for they possess all the diversity of scenery which their climates can give; but to the eye which first discovered them, bent on them generally from a distance, they all at first appeared blue, and they have retained the name."

The air contained in a spacious hall or room, is too small in volume to affect the eye with an impression of

blue color, and all objects appear of their natural tint; the same as an alabaster figure will appear beautifully white when viewed through a thin glass shade, but will gradually appear green, upon being covered with three or four additional shades, although they are of equal thickness and transparency; and if several more be employed, the vase will at length become invisible.

The red appearance of the evening and morning sky, so popularly known as indicative of fair and foul weather, was chosen by the Saviour of mankind, as the medium of a reproof, similar in its force and tendency to that which has already engaged our attention, in humbly endeavoring to present its philosophical interpretation.

"When it is evening ye say, it will be fair weather, for the sky is red."

"And in the morning, it will be foul weather to-day, for the sky is red and lowering.'

The astronomer proves, that in consequence of the refractive or light-bending power of the atmosphere, the sun is visible for a considerable time after actual sunset, and also before actual sunrise; the chemist ascertains the fact, that at actual sunset, the surface of the earth radiates heat, and the watery vapor present throughout a vast height of the atmosphere, immediately enters into a state of incipient condensation; he therefore presumes the glow of light that so often blushes in the sky during a summer or autumnal sunset, may depend upon the vesicular vapor reflecting the red rays more powerfully than the others, for he discovers, that if light be transmitted through steam mingled with air, and therefore on the verge of condensation,-that it assumes a deep orange or red color.

"The red color of the sky at sunset, is indicative of fine weather; for although watery vapor is present in the air, it is probably only on the verge of incipient condensation, and not sufficiently condensed to form rain-clouds; and this slowly progressive transition of vast volumes of the air through the temperature of the dew-point, can only occur in serene weather at sunset, and not at sunrise."

"The red and lowering appearance of the morning sky, which indicates foul weather, probably depends upon such an excess of vapor being present in the whole atmosphere, that clouds are actually forming in the higher regions, contrary to the direct tendency of the rising sun to dissipate them; they accordingly reflect the red rays of light abundantly, and are considered as announcing a speedy precipitation of rain.”

"In the morning, in fine weather, the strata of the air near the surface of the earth alone, and in the lowest and most sheltered spots, are in a state of absolute dampness; the more elevated regions are comparatively free from humidity, and the morning light is gray; the vapors which, during the reversion of the process, might probably reflect the red rays, are not elevated until the action of the sun upon the surface of the earth has continued. long enough to impart a sensible warmth, by which time the moment of sunrise is past, and the sun has risen above the horizontal vapors."

The close observance of natural phenomena by our ancestors, gave rise to many sayings and proverbs, of which several have been presented; and we find another concerning the appearance of the skies that we have just considered.

"An evening red, and morning gray,
Will set the traveler on his way;

But an evening gray, and a morning red,

Will pour down rain on the traveler's head."

The "rainbow," that so frequently adorns and glads the clouded watery heavens, in full display of gorgeouscolored zones of first-created light, as "the token of the covenant between God and man, that the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh," must be esteemed as the most beautiful and magnificent atmospheric phenomenon that we behold throughout the Four Seasons of the revolving year.

This phenomenon, however, does not admit of explanation through the medium of Chemistry; its interpretation belongs to the very highest departments of the science of Optics, and there probably we only know it in part; but even such part, if it could be here admitted, would more than occupy the remaining limits that are assigned for the actual chemical phenomena of Autumn and Winter.

But we are inevitably led for a few moments to quit the direct province of Chemistry, and trespass upon that of Optics, for unfolding the probable physical cause of the rainbow, in concise and intelligible terms.

The rainbow invariably appears in that part of the heavens which during the day is directly opposite to the sun, and whilst rain is falling between the dark clouds in the one quarter, and the solar beams in the other; these, under most circumstances, impinging upon pellucid drops of water, will either directly pass through them in right lines, or, if refracted from such course, they will, upon emerging from the drops, immediately resume it, and pass onward as colorless light.