|
Mountains of the Earth. There is something august
and stately in the Air of these things that inspires the
mind with great thoughts and passions; We do naturally upon such occasions think of God and his
greatness, and whatsoever hath but the shadow and
appearance of INFINITE, as all things have that
are too big for our comprehension, they fill and
over-bear the mind with their Excess, and cast it into
a pleasing kind of stupor and admiration.
And yet these Mountains we are speaking of, to
confess the truth, are nothing but great ruines; but
such as show a certain magnificence in Nature; as
from old Temples and broken Amphitheaters of the
Romans we collect the greatness of that people. But
the grandeur of a Nation is less sensible to those that
never see the remains and monuments they have left,
and those who never see the mountainous parts of the
Earth, scarce ever reflect upon the causes of them, or
what power in Nature could be sufficient to produce
them. The truth is, the generality of people have
not sence and curiosity enough to raise a question
concerning these things, or concerning the Original
of them. You may tell them that Mountains grow
out of the Earth like Fuzz-balls, or that there are
Monsters under ground that throw up Mountains as
Moles do Mole-hills; they will scarce raise one objection against your doctrine; or if you would appear more Learned, tell them that the Earth is a great
Animal, and these are Wens that grow upon its body. This would pass current for Philosophy; so
much is the World drown'd in stupidity and sensual
pleasures, and so little inquisitive into the works of
God and Nature.
There is nothing doth more awaken our thoughts
or excite our minds to enquire into the causes of
such things, than the actual view of them; as I have
had experience my self when it was my fortune to
cross the Alps and Appennine Mountains, for the sight
of those wild, vast and indigested heaps of Stones and
Earth, did so deeply strike my fancy, that I was not
easie till I could give my self some tolerable account
how that confusion came in Nature. 'Tis true, the
| | Image Size: 240x320 480x640
960x1280 1440x1920 1920x2560
|
