Page 200 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

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READING LESSONS. 199
V1'TAL, a., pertaining to life. F. and S. vital; om vita, L., li . MEN'TAL, a., of or pertaining to the mind. F. and S. rnental, om
ens, L., the mi11d.
on'IFY, v., to qualify, to temper; to change the rm or accidents
of a thing, so as to reduce it to a certain measure or standard.
L. od care,-modus, measure, and facere, to reduce or bring to. FuNDAMEN1TAL, a., essential; serving as a basis or undation. F.
fon mentel, omfund'us, L., a undation.
CHEM'rcAL, a., relating to chemistry; made by chemistry. F. chy­
mique. See " Chemist,'' p. 55.
DrssoLv1ED (diz-), pt., melted. L. dissolutus, om dis, and solvo, I
loosen, I melt.
I 'T1m, pt., kindled, or set on re. F. ignee, om L., ignis, re. REVOLVE', v., to roll, to turn round or back. L. revolvo,-1·e, and volvo,
I roll.
For "Universe,'' see p. 187; "Phenomena,'' p. 168; "Physical," p. 67 : "Philosophy,'' p. 82; "Appellation," p. 184.
1. it excites our admiration, that a varied edi­ ce, or even a magni cent city, can be constructed of stone om one quarry, what must our eling be to learn how w and simple the elements are, out of which the sublime bric of the universe, with all its orders of phenomena, has arisen, and is now sus­ tained! These .elements are general cts and laws, which human sagacity is able to detect, and then to apply to endless purposes of human advantage.
2. Now, the ui· words, atmn, attraction, r ul­ sion, and inertia, point· to ur general truths, which explain the greater part of the phenomena of nature. Being so general, they are called physical truths, om the Greek word signifying nature j as also,
"truths of natural philosophy," with the same mean­ ing; and sometimes, "mechanical truths," om their close relation to ordinary machinery. These appel­ lations distinguish them from the remaining general truths, namely, the chemical truths, which regard particular substances, and the vital and mental truths, which have relation only to living beings. And even in the cases where a chemical or vital in uence