The Portland daily press., 1863-10-23

AGAssrz and his Methods of Study in Natural His
tory, PIP. 3l9-just issued by Tcknor Fields.
Ii this great naturalist had called his book
Method OF Study in Natural Theology, it
would have been hardly MISSIONER. AS it is
only through the doings of God that we know
God to let us into the mysteries of his work
manship, is like sending US, fully prepared
into the secret place of thunder, where we
may iaterrogate, reverentially, and prayerfully
and without offence the Builder of the Uni
verse.
The "Method Of Study" here recommended
so clearly and so eloquently, for what after all
is eloquence on such subjects, but clearness?
or cearness and precision? is just that which
leelers after the truth need be acquainted with.
Men of the world-not workings merely, the
empty.headed and the fashionable for day,
but the busy and great men of the age-are
disposed to undervalue what they regard as
trivial, and If they had loftier views they
would no more overlook than they would the
stars and the seas-the smaller and kindlier
manifestations of Gods power. Forgetting
that with Him there can be nothing small and
nothing great; and that although it may be
characteristic of man, if great in little things,
to be little. in great things, and that he who
can "carve heads upon cherry stones, never
cut colossos from a rock" it is not so with
Him who powders the wing of the butterfly,
and polishes the sting Of honey bee with as
much care as he finishes off world-and fin
shes a world as if it were a crown set with
jewels and flaming with inward light: forget
ting all this, they cannot understand how a
man Of decent common sense like the blind
Huber that Milton of Natural History, could
spend life in studying the habits of honey
bees by the help Of his daughter nor hardly
how Cuyier should ever think it worth his
while to construct an antedeluvan monster
from the fragment of Il tooth or Il toe. Now
and then TO be sure. when they hear about the
Mastodon, or the Ichthiosarus, they may open
their eyes-but if you mention the Ornitho-
rhynchus, or any OF the monsters now living
they are off like shot.
AS if what God had thought it worth his
while to make, it were not worth mans while
to look at, or try to understand. With sucha
book as we have here, the veriest blockhead
may be made to feel that he is a part, and
part only.
Of that stupendous whole
Whose body Nature is and God the soul"
Perhaps after aIl-and we have confederation
here in this book of 300 pages or so-perhaps
the distinguishing characteristic of master
mind, is the power of seeing Resemblance
where others see only differences, or differen-
ces where others see only resemblances. This
it is that makes The naturalist. Aristotle. and
Lnneus, and Blumenbach, and Culver, and
Agassiz are only types of that gigantic race
who began life with trying to see as God sees.
Were they not Theologians in.
! ANNALS OF THE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND By
| an otleer. Messrs. Lippncott & Co., Philadelphia
fuDIshers For sale in this city by Bailey 4
Noyes. -
THIS Is weli-written, finely printed and
beautifully illustrated book. 1t gives brief
history OF the men, and thrilling account of
the most striking event. and Important battles
of the army of the Cumberland The money
expended in printing and illustrating the book
is said to have been furnished by the officers
of the army, and the proceeds of its sale are to
be used to erect monument upon the battle
field at Stone River, to those who fell there
| The book contains a great deal of valuable in i.
formation, and will be read with the deepest
interest by those who wish to know more Of
the brave commander of the Army of the Cum
berland.