An  inquirer,  observing  day  and  night,  seed-time  and  harvest,  summer  and
winter,  months  and  years,  to  succeed  each  other  in  their  turn,  finds  himself
asking  this  important  question,  Where  am  I,  and  whence  the  origin  of  all
these  things  ?

Truth,  sometimes,  is  self-evident,  and  can  admit  of  no  doubt,  being  an
object  of  sense  ;  but  at  other  times,  truth  is  more  latent,  and  can  only  be
inferred  from  circumstantial  things.  In  the  first  case,  the  evidence  re-
ceived  is  positive  knowledge;  but  the  latter  is  only  faith,  in  the  solution
of  queries.  Hence  the  difference  between  the  terms,  knowledge  and  faith.
The  first  refers  to  things  present,  which  are  grasped  by  sense ;  the  latter
alludes  to  absent  things,  which  always  admit  of  dispute.
The  sun,  in  the  centre,  and  all  the  host  around,  both  of  a  first  and  sec-
ond order,  and  their  eclipses  and  conjunctions,  are  calculable  to  a  mathe-
matical demonstration.  Hence,  a  lew  degrees  east  and  north  of  the  me-
tropolis of  Columbia,  in  the  third  planet  from  the  sun  in  rotation,  on  the
terraqueous  theatre  of  human  existence,  Inquirer  found  himself,  and  com-
menced his  career :  first,  in  sensible  existence ;  and  then  in  reflections,  in
search  after  truth  !

The  sensation  felt  on  beholding  a  compound  of  various  and  different
reflections  of  those  rays  of  light,  sometimes  visible  in  the  clouds  opposite
the  sun,  is  termed  color  ;  and,  under  certain  shades  and  figures,  is  called
beauty :  the  power  to  behold  them  is  called  sight.
The  sensibility  by  which  we  discern  the  qualities  of  nutriment,  arising
from  the  different  shapes  of  particles,  exciting  the  sensations  of  bitter,
sweet,  sour,  &c,  is  called  taste.
The  power  by  which  we  discern  odors,  whether  good  or  bad,  is  called
smell.
