The Hidden Mysteries Of Nature And Science.—Part 3.

THE HIDDEN MYSTERIES OF NATURE AND SCIENCE . —PART 3 .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JUNSI 27 , 1863 .

"Whatever rude shelter tiie climate and natural advantages of any country caused the primitive inhabitants to adopt for their temporary abode , the same style of structure , in all its prominent features , was kept up afterwards by their more refined and opulent descendants . Thus , the Egyptian style of building had its orig in in the cavern and mound ; the Chinese

architecture , with it pavilion roofs and pointed minarets , is taken from the Tartar tent ; the Grecian is derived from the Avooden cabin ; and the Gothic from the bower of trees . The ancient and original orders of architecture are three : the Doric , which Avas formed after the shape of a strong robust man ; the

Ionic , formed after the model of an agreeable young woman of an elegant shape , dressed in her hair ; and the Corinthian , invented hy Callimachus from the following circumstance : —Accidentally passing the tomb of a young girl he perceived a basket of toys covered with a tile placed over an Acanthus root ,

which had been left there by her nurse . As the branches grew up they encompassed the basket , till arriving at the tile they met with an obstruction and bent downAvards . Callimachus set about imitating it , the base of the capital he made to represent the basket ; the abacus the tile ; and the volute the

bending leaves . To these three the Romans have added two ; the Tuscan , Avhich they made plainer than the Doric ; and the Composite , Avhich was more ornamental than the Corinthian .

In like manner also men , from the earliest ages , have been led from motives of comfort or necessity to study the indications of the weather in the different appearances of the skies , and changes of the moon . Erom these observations certain fixed rules were drawn and the result was Astronomy . By this science

the mind of man is enabled not only to view the wonderful Avorks of the Almighty in a much stronger lig ht than he could otherwise effect , but he is also able to demonstrate that nothing less than Omnipotence could establish such innumerable systems of the heavenly bodiesplace them at their relative

dis-, tances , and finally keep the whole in universal order . " This noble science , " says Ashe in his Masonic Manual , " may justly be said to comprehend the other sis ; as by grammar we correctly express the substance of our observations ; by rhetoric , Aveibrcibly impress the truths therein contained ; by logic , Ave proceed to

demonstrate those truths ; by arithmetic , AVO make our calculations ; by geometry , we measure the magnitude and distances of those vast orbs ; and finall y , we cannot but subscribe to the harmony of the whole where there is not the . least discord to be found in any of its parts . In short , it is by the help of this sublime science that

mankind are enabled to plough the trackless ocean , to traverse the sandy waste of the immense desert ; by commerce , to civilize rude and savage nations , to unite men of most countries , sects ,. and opinions , and conciliate true friendship among persons , Avho would , otherwise , have remained , at au immediate distance , asunder . "

When first mankind began to spread the earth , Like animals devoid of speech they strove With utmost strength of hands , for dens and acorns ; From thence to clubs , and then to arms they came , Taught by experience ; till words expressed Their meaning , and gave proper names to things : Then ended wars , cities were built , and laws Were made for thieves , adulterers , androgues . Hor . Book I . Sect . 3 , 99 .

AndVirgil , in his 1 st Georgic , says , 1 . 129 : — Ille malum virus serpentibus addidit atris PrEedarique lupos jussit pontumque moveri , Mellaque decussit foliis , ignemque removit , Efc passim rivis cnrrentia vina repressit ; Ufc varias usus meditando extundereti artes Paulatim , et suleis frumenti qusereret herbam ,

Et silicis venis abstrusum excuderet ignem . Tunc alnos primum fluvii sensere cavatas ; Navita turn stellis numeros et nomina fecit , Pleiades Hyades claramque Lycaonis Arcton . Turn laqueis captare feras et fallere visco Iuventum : et magnos canibus circumdare saltus . Turn ferri rigor atque arguta ? lamina Seme Nam primi cuneis scindebant fissile lignum Turn variaa venere artes .

If , in the prosecution of our daily tasks , we had to depend solely upon the dexterity acquired by constant practice , or upon our natural brute strength , without the assistance of science and art , we should be but very badly situated . But happily this is not the ease . In man ' s brain is a power of helping his hand . It enables him to see and to understand laws

in nature , which may advantageously be adopted to various uses in every day life . He can by this obser-A'ation and his ingenuity devise tools and machines as , Avorking under the laAvs of nature , Avill make his own labour but trifling in comparison Avith the result obtained . Thus , if in drawing water from a well we had to draw up a rod with our own handsthe load

, would be very fatiquing . We erect a pump to Avhich we give a handle , and it works easily . This is only taking advantage of one of the laws which God has established , in nature . A rest is made for the handle , near the rod , the longer part of the handle thus becomes a lever . The end Ave pull by

descends through a wide space compared with the part Avhich is at the same distance from the rest , or fulcrum , as the rod . The greater that difference by so much is the force required in pulling diminished , for " a small weight descending a long way in a given

length of time , is equal in effect to a great weight descending a proportionally shorter way in the same space of time . " The effect is seen in a common hammer , a spade , whip , & c . We learn this lesson from the formation of a man , Avhere tbe Creator has used the same principle in the arrangement by Avhich

the levator muscle raises the forearm of a man . In every body , or mass , or system of connected masses in the universe , there is a point about Avhich all the parts balance or have equilibrium , Avhich point is called the centre of gravity , or of inertia . Although in any mass every atom has its separate gravity and

inertia , aud the Avei ght and inertia of the whole are really diffused from above or below , the Avhole mass is equally supported ; by lifting it the Avhole is lifted , and when this centre rises or falls , the whole mass is really rising or falling . The actions and postures of animals , particularly of man , beautifully illustrates this . A body is tottering in proportion as it has