So long ago as 1758, some disturbances in the motion of "Halley's Comet" led Clairaut, a celebrated astronomer at Paris, to hazard the opinion, they might be occasioned by some planet too distant for discovery. In 1781, Uranus was seen by Herschel, and astronomers soon became perplexed by the discrepancies between its observed and its calculated positions in its orbit, that is to say, its perturbations. And, before we go any farther, as these have had so much to do with the discovery of "Neptune," these shall be the subject of remark. The planets, it is commonly said, are all attracted by the sun. The truth is, all matter is under the universal law of gravity. The planets attract the sun, as well as the sun the planets: only, as the mass of the sun is so great, compared with that of the planets, the former is not particularly noticed. They likewise attract each other, sometimes more, sometimes less, according to their great or less distance. This mutual attraction causes perturbations; that is, so influences, by accelerating or retarding their motions in their respective orbits, that they arrive at different points in them sooner or later than would otherwise be the case: and it is a proof of the remarkable accuracy of the observations and calculations of astronomers, that these perturbations (the name applied by astronomers to such cases) are clearly perceived and noticed. And is not this wonderful? Here is a body distant from the sun about one thousand eight hundred millions of miles, as Uranus. The diameter of its orbit is double this, or three thousand six hundred millions; and its circumference about three times its diameter, or ten thousand eight hundred millions. It traverses this in eighty-four years, at the rate of one thousand five hundred miles an hour. Notwithstanding this, astronomers can fix the precise place in which it ought to be at any given time and such are the perfection of the instruments and the carefulness of the observers, that it can be known whether the planet really is in that place, at that time. So nice are the calculations, so accurate the observations, that a variation (that is, perturbation) of only three minutes (a minute being the sixtieth part of a degree) can be distinctly perceived. Indeed, it is upon this seemingly trivial circumstance that the important discovery of the New Planet rests.

On these perturbations we have only another observation to make; but it is one that ought to excite our highest admiration, and lead to devout and humble adoration of Him who "made the stars also." It might be supposed that these disturbances might go on increasing, till the stability of the entire system would be affected, and were ultimately destroyed. But no. On the contrary; they supply, by the wonderful wisdom and power of the Creator, the means of its perpetuity. They mutually counteract each other, and, in effect, so neutralize each other, as actually (so nicely have they been calculated, so admirably adjusted) to preserve the balance of an exact regularity. Some of the greatest astronomers have made the necessary calculations, and ascertained the results. When the disturbances have reached a certain amount, a contrary effect takes place; the amount diminishes, disappears, appears in an opposite direction, and goes on till counteraction again commences, and the same effects take place, the issue of the whole being a well-balanced average of perpetual stability. Let the reader think of the numerous bodies in the solar system, and their ever-varying distances from each other, producing an ever-varying amount of action, disturbance, reaction, and restoration: and then let him think of the wisdom that has so ordered the sizes, distances, movements, and all the circumstances, of these bodies, that even disturbance produces regularity! They are placed under one law its operations seem to threaten mischief: they are so adjusted, each to each, and each to all, that instead of mischief there is benefit! What do they not lose, who refuse to acquire a knowledge which presents so singular a proof and illustration of the wisdom that contrived the arrangement, and the power that at first effected, and continues to preserve it? What can baffle such wisdom? oppose such power? And it is the wisdom and power of that ever-living God, of whom we may say, unless we are most destructively and guiltily wanting to ourselves, " And this God," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, "is our God for ever: he will be our guide unto death." O! the rich blessedness of those who can so say; and who, knowing these instances illustrative of his character, make of their knowledge a fragrant gum which

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they put on their censer, kindle it with the holy fire of divine love, and, in fervent and adoring praise, offer it before his altar as a sweet-smelling savour, acceptable to him through great High-Priest, Jesus the Son of God." O reader, whenever thou reflectest on such subjects, pause to offer the tribute which it is thy happiness to be able to pay, thy greater happiness to be inclined to pay say, in the very depths of thy spirit, and with all its fervour, "We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord!"

Having briefly explained the nature and cause of these planetary perturbations, we resume the thread of our narrative. In 1821, Bouvard published his tables of observations, &c., on Uranus; and then, the disturbances, sometimes amounting to three minutes, (that is, there was this difference between the points where the planet was seen to be, and in which calculation said it ought to be,) began to excite inquiry. The Rev. Mr. Hussey, of Hayes, in Kent, conceived that they might be caused by some body beyond the planet. The fact was established. No power from within its orbit could explain it, There must be a cause. Is it to be found in some body without? A dozen years afterwards Bouvard and Hussey met, and their conversation strengthened the notion till it almost became an opinion, and they wished particular attention to be directed to a certain quarter of the heavens by those who had the opportunity. Others, however, did not agree with them; and what might have been the discovery of 1834, was reserved for 1846.

A nephew of Bouvard's, however, did not lose sight of the subject; and the possibility of the existence of an extraUranian planet began to assume a more definite form in the minds of astronomers. In 1843, an illustrious astronomer, M. Bessel, visiting Sir John Herschel, stated his opinion that the perturbations of Uranus were only to be explained by the influence of an exterior planet.

In 1841, the subject particularly occupied the attention of Mr. J. C. Adams, then an Undergraduate of St. John's College, Cambridge. He was then studying for the usual degree; but he formed (and committed to writing) the resolution, that he would, as soon as possible after taking his VOL. XI. Second Series.

degree, investigate "the irregularities in the motions of Uranus, which are yet unaccounted for, in order to find whether they may be attributed to the action of an undiscovered planet beyond it; and, if possible, thence to determine approximately the elements of its orbit, &c., which would probably lead to its discovery."

Such was the noble resolution taken by this Undergraduate ; and well was it rewarded. It is at once a splendid, and an encouraging, example. His friends were aware of his purpose, and it was not forgotten by himself. In January, 1843, he took his degree, acquiring the high distinctions of Senior Wrangler, and First Smith's Prize Man; and then, feeling himself more at liberty by the cessation of this press of study, he began to collect materials for the examination of the problem which he had undertaken to solve.

(To be concluded in our next.)

CHINA.

(Continued from page 266.)

EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.

Ir there is any one thing which more than another elevates the Chinese character, it is their literary institutions. In letters and education, China takes the first rank among heathen nations.

There are few countries in which education is so widely diffused as in China; but it fails to produce its due improvement on the mind, from the fact that it is pursued for the purpose of obtaining office, literary eminence being the only path to political distinction. Education is consequently rarely bestowed upon females; and few, if any, of the other sex, pursue knowledge for its own sake.

Wealthy families prefer to educate their children at home; and sometimes two or three families will unite, and engage the services of a teacher. In such cases, the daughters are sometimes instructed; and perhaps nine-tenths of all the educated females in China obtained their learning under such

circumstances. There is not, said Mr. Williams, as far as I know, a single girls'-school in Canton.

At the door of the school is a tablet in honour of Confucius, to which the scholars bow as they enter, and sometimes offer incense. The masters are as severe as in any country. The first task is to learn the characters. The boys learn to form the characters by tracing them with a pencil on paper which is thin enough for the characters to show through. They learn the names of the characters by standing up in a class before the teacher, who reads off the first six characters in the books, and they repeat them after him; six more are then gone over in the same way, and the boys are then sent to their seats to learn them by heart, twelve being considered enough for one lesson. As they always study aloud, they make not a little noise over their tasks. When they have committed the first twelve characters to memory, they recite them to the teacher, who gives them twelve more; and so on, till they have gone through the whole book, which contains two hundred and seventy-six lines, of six characters each. During all this time they are entirely ignorant of the meaning of what they have learned, knowing nothing of the names of the characters. In every school they always begin with the same book; and when this is finished, they go through a second book, which contains a thousand characters: after which, the teacher gives his pupils some idea of what they have been reading in the first book. In this way they go through their nine classics, the whole of which are learned by heart; but neither history, geography, natural philosophy, religion, nor arithmetic, are taught in the schools.

LITERARY EXAMINATIONS.

THESE are peculiar to China. They are four in number, and progressive in degree. The first examination takes place in the town or village, and all persons are eligible as candidates. Those who pass this trial are said to have "a name in the village."

The second examination is held in the district town, before the literary Chancellor. All in the district who were successful