Benjamin Franklin Part 48

=Awake=, my Soul! with Joy thy G.o.d adore; Declare his Greatness; celebrate his Pow'r; Who, cloath'd with Honour, and with Glory crown'd, s.h.i.+nes forth, and cheers his Universe around.

Who with a radiant Veil of heavenly Light Himself conceals from all created Sight.

Who rais'd the s.p.a.cious Firmament on high, And spread the azure Curtain of the Sky.

Whose awful Throne Heav'n's starry Arch sustains, Whose Presence not Heav'n's vast Expanse restrains.

Whose Ways unsearchable no Eye can find, The Clouds his Chariot, and his Wings the Wind Whom Hosts of mighty Angels own their Lord, And flaming Seraphim fulfil his Word.

Whose Pow'r of old the solid Earth did found, Self-pois'd, self-center'd, and with Strength girt round;

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From her appointed Sphere forbid to fly, Or rush unbalanc'd thro' the trackless Sky.

To reas'ning Man the sov'reign Rule a.s.sign'd, His Delegate o'er each inferior Kind; Too soon to fall from that distinguish'd Place, His Honours stain'd with Guilt and foul Disgrace.

He saw the Pride of Earth's aspiring Lord, And in his Fury gave the dreadful Word: Straight o'er her peopled Plains his Floods were pour'd, And o'er the Mountains the proud Billows roar'd.

Athwart the Face of Earth the Deluge sweeps, And whelms the impious Nations in the Deeps: Again G.o.d spake----and at his pow'rful Call The raging Floods a.s.swage, the Waters fall, The Tempests hear his Voice, and straight obey, And at his Thunder's Roar they haste away: From off the lofty Mountains they subside, And gently thro' the winding Vallies glide, Till in the s.p.a.cious Caverns of the Deep They sink together, and in Silence sleep.

There he hath stretch'd abroad their liquid Plains, And there Omnipotence their Rage restrains, That Earth no more her Ruins may deplore, And guilty Mortals dread their Wrath no more.

He bids the living Fountains burst the Ground, And bounteous spread their Silver Streams around: Down from the Hills they draw their s.h.i.+ning Train, Diffusing Health and Beauty o'er the Plain.

There the fair Flocks allay the Summer's Rage, And panting Savages their Flame a.s.swage.

On their sweet winding Banks th' aerial Race In artless Numbers warble forth his Praise, Or chant the harmless Raptures of their Loves, And cheer the Plains, and wake the vocal Groves.

Forth from his Treasures in the Skies he pours His precious Blessings in refres.h.i.+ng Show'rs.

Each dying Plant with Joy new Life receives, And thankful Nature smiles, and Earth revives.

The fruitful Fields with Verdure he bespreads, The Table of the Race that haunts the Meads, And bids each Forest, and each flow'ry Plain Send forth their native Physic for the Swain.

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Thus doth the various Bounty of the Earth Support each Species crowding into Birth.

In purple Streams she bids her Vintage flow, And Olives on her Hills luxuriant grow, One with its generous Juice to cheer the Heart, And one ill.u.s.trious Beauty to impart; And Bread of all Heav'n's precious Gifts the chief From desolating Want the sure Relief.

Which with new Life the feeble Limbs inspires, And all the Man with Health and Courage fires.

The Cloud-topt Hills with waving Woods are crown'd, Which wide extend their sacred Shades around, There _Lebanon_'s proud Cedars nod their Heads; There _Bashan_'s lofty Oaks extend their Shades: The pointed Firs rise tow'ring to the Clouds, And Life and warbling Numbers fill the Woods.

Nor gentle Shades alone, nor verdant Plains, Nor fair enamell'd Meads, nor flow'ry Lawns, But e'en rude Rocks and dreary Desarts yield Retreats for the wild Wand'rers of the Field.

Thy Pow'r with Life and Sense all Nature fills, Each Element with varied Being swells, Race after Race arising view the Light, Then silent pa.s.s away, and sink in Night.

The Gift of Life thus boundlesly bestow'd, Proclaims th' exhaustless Hand, the Hand of G.o.d.

Nor less thy Glory in the etherial Spheres, Nor less thy ruling Providence appears.

There from on high the gentle Moon by Night In solemn Silence sheds her Silver Light, And thence the glorious Sun pours forth his Beams, Thence copious spreads around his quick'ning Streams.

Each various...o...b..enjoys the golden Day, And Worlds of Life hang on his chearful Ray.

Thus Light and Darkness their fix'd Course maintain, And still the kind Vicissitudes remain: For when pale Night her sable Curtain spreads, And wraps all Nature in her awful Shades, Soft Slumbers gently seal each mortal Eye, Stretch'd at their Ease the weary Lab'rers lie.

The restless Soul 'midst Life's vain Tumults tost, Forgets her Woes, and ev'ry Care is lost.

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=JANUARY.= _I Month._

Then from their Dens the rav'nous Monsters creep, Whilst in their Folds the harmless b.e.s.t.i.a.l sleep.

The furious Lion roams in quest of Prey, To gorge his Hunger till the Dawn of Day; His hideous Roar with Terror shakes the Wood, As from his Maker's Hand he asks his Food.

Again the Sun his Morning Beams displays, And fires the eastern Mountain with his Rays.

[Before]

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | | | Remark. days, &c. |? ri.|? set|? pl.| Aspects, &c.

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | 1|2|=CIRc.u.mCISION.= |7 24 |4 36 |? 11 | ? with ?

| 2|3| _Clouds and_ |7 24 |4 36 | 23 | ? with ?

| 3|4| _cold, with_ |7 23 |4 37 |? 5 | ? rise 4 23 | 4|5| _snow;_ |7 23 |4 37 | 17 | _Tis against_ | 5|6|Days inc. 4 m. |7 23 |4 37 | 29 | ? with ? _some_ | 6|7|=EPIPHANY.= |7 22 |4 38 |? 10 | ? rise 4 44 | 7|G|1 p. Epiph. |7 22 |4 38 | 22 | ? w. ? _Mens_ | 8|2| _wind and_ |7 21 |4 39 |? 4 | _Principle to pay_ | 9|3| _falling_ |7 21 |4 39 | 16 | _Interest, and_ |10|4|Days inc. 10 m. |7 20 |4 40 | 28 | _seems against_ |11|5| _weather,_ |7 19 |4 41 |? 10 | ? s. 11 6 _others_ |12|6| _then_ |7 18 |4 42 | 23 | ? rise 5 42 |13|7| _very cold,_ |7 17 |4 43 |? 6 | Sirius so. 10 52 |14|G|2 p. Epiph. |7 16 |4 44 | 19 | ? ? ? _Interest_ |15|2|Day incr. 18 m. |7 16 |4 44 |? 2 | 7 *s so. 7 42 |16|3| _wintry_ |7 15 |4 45 | 16 | ? so. 10 39 |17|4| _weather;_ |7 14 |4 46 |? 0 | ? rise 4 36 |18|5| _but grows more_ |7 13 |4 47 | 15 | ? with ? to |19|6|Day 9 36 long. |7 12 |4 48 |? 1 | ? in ? _pay_ |20|7| _moderate,_ |7 12 |4 48 | 17 | ? ? ? _the_ |21|G|3 p. Epiph. |7 11 |4 49 |? 3 | _Princ.i.p.al._ |22|2| _followed by_ |7 10 |4 50 | 18 | ? sets 8 2 |23|3| _clouds, wind_ |7 9 |4 51 |? 2 | _Philosophy as_ |24|4| _and_ |7 8 |4 52 | 15 | _well as Foppery_ |25|5|Conv. St. =PAUL.= |7 7 |4 53 | 28 | ? ? ? _often_ |26|6|Day incr. 38 m. |7 6 |4 54 |? 11 | _changes Fas.h.i.+on._ |27|7| _cold, with_ |7 5 |4 55 | 24 | ? rise 4 48 |28|G|4 p. Epiph. |7 4 |4 56 |? 7 | 7 *s sou. 6 47 |29|2| _snow or_ |7 3 |4 57 | 19 | Sirius sou. 9 44 |30|3|K. Char. behead. |7 2 |4 58 |? 1 | ? with ? & ?

|31|4| _rain._ |7 1 |4 59 | 13 | ? with ?

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=JANUARY= hath x.x.xI Days.

+----------------------------------------------+ D. H. | Planets Places.

New ? 4 8 mor. +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+ First Q. 12 at noon. |D.| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? ^sL.

Full ? 19 10 mor. +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+ Last Q. 26 4 mor. | | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | | 1| 12 | 29 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 26 | N. 2 {12 ? 12 Deg. | 6| 17 | 30 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 24 | 5 ? {22 11 |12| 23 | ? 0 | 9 | 15 | 29 | 19 | 2 {31 10 |17| 28 | 1 | 8 | 19 | ? 5 | 14 | S. 4 |22| ? 3 | 1 | 8 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 4 |27| 8 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 17 | 15 | N. 1 +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+

[Ill.u.s.tration]

+--+----------+----------+----+------+ |D.| ? rise | ? sou: | T. | O S | --> +--+----------+----------+----+ l t | | 1| 4 39 | 9 M 41 | 12 | d i | | 2| 5 33 | 10 30 | 1 | l | | 3| Moon | 11 19 | 2 | e.| | 4| sets. | 12 6 | 3 | 24 | | 5| A. | A. 53 | 3 | 25 | | 6| 7 0 | 1 36 | 4 | 26 | | 7| 8 0 | 2 18 | 5 | 27 | | 8| 8 54 | 3 0 | 6 | 28 | | 9| 9 50 | 3 43 | 6 | 29 | |10| 10 47 | 4 27 | 7 | 30 | |11| 11 46 | 5 10 | 8 | 31 | |12| 12 50 | 5 55 | 8 | Jan. | |13| M. 50 | 6 44 | 9 | | |14| 1 51 | 7 34 | 10 | 3 | |15| 2 52 | 8 28 | 11 | 4 | |16| 3 56 | 9 23 | 12 | 5 | |17| 4 57 | 10 22 | 1 | 6 | |18| Moon | 11 21 | 2 | 7 | |19| rises | 12 25 | 3 | 8 | |20| A. | Morn. | 3 | 9 | |21| 7 56 | 1 30 | 4 | 10 | |22| 9 11 | 2 26 | 5 | 11 | |23| 10 18 | 3 16 | 6 | 12 | |24| 11 19 | 4 5 | 7 | 13 | |25| 12 22 | 4 54 | 7 | 14 | |26| M 22 | 5 43 | 8 | 15 | |27| 1 17 | 6 34 | 9 | 16 | |28| 2 21 | 7 26 | 10 | 17 | |29| 3 16 | 8 14 | 11 | 18 | |30| 4 3 | 9 3 | 12 | 19 | |31| 4 44 | 9 51 | 12 | 20 | +--+----------+----------+----+------+

=The= Greatness of that Power, which has been exerted in the Creation, though every Object in Nature shews it, will best appear by considering a little the =GREAT= Works, properly so called, of Nature; the Sun, and Planets, and the fixed Stars.

The Sun and Moon, the most conspicuous to us of all the celestial Bodies, are the only ones mentioned in the sacred Text: But the Invention of that n.o.blest of Instruments the Telescope, and the Sagacity of the Astronomers of later Ages, whose Observations have improved and corrected those of the foregoing, afford us a very different Idea of the Solar System, from what the single Consideration of those two most conspicuous Bodies gives us. As this may probably fall into the Hands of some, who have not Leisure or Opportunities of reading Books of Astronomy, the following brief View of our System, and of the Immensity of the Creation, according to the Theory of the Moderns, may not be unacceptable.

It is proper, in the first Place, just to mention, That the real Magnitudes, Distances, Orbits, and other Affections of the Bodies of our System are determined by what Astronomers call their Parallaxes, and by their Elongations from the Sun, and their apparent Magnitudes, and other a.n.a.logical Methods, which would take up by far too much Time to explain here; by which it is possible to determine [their]

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=FEBRUARY.= _II Month._

Before him fly the Horrors of the Night; He looks upon the World--and all is Light.

Then the lone Wand'rers of the dreary Waste Affrighted to their Holds return in Haste, To Man give up the World, his native Reign, Who then resumes his Pow'r, and rules the Plain.

How various are thy Works, Creator wise!

How to the Sight Beauties on Beauties rise!

[Where]

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | | | Remark. days, &c. |? ris|? set|? pl.| Aspects, &c.

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | 1|5|Days 10 h. long. |7 0 |5 0 |? 25 | ? sou. 9 28 | 2|6|Purification _V. M._ |6 59 |5 1 |? 7 | ? rise 4 20 | 3|7| _Clouds_ |6 58 |5 2 | 19 | _Setting too good_ | 4|G|5 p. Epiph. |6 56 |5 4 |? 1 | _an Example_ | 5|2| _and wind,_ |6 55 |5 5 | 13 | ? rise 5 34 | 6|3| _with_ |6 54 |5 6 | 25 | ? ? ? ? ? ?

| 7|4| _falling_ |6 53 |5 7 |? 7 | ? sets 8 2 _is a_ | 8|5|Days incr. 1 6 |6 52 |5 8 | 20 | _Kind of Slander_ | 9|6| _weather,_ |6 51 |5 9 |? 3 | _seldom forgiven;_ |10|7| _then fair_ |6 50 |5 10 | 16 | _'tis_ Scandalum |11|G|6 p. Epiph. |6 48 |5 12 | 29 | Magnatum.

|12|2| _and cold;_ |6 47 |5 13 |? 13 | ? ? ? _A great_ |13|3| _changeable_ |6 46 |5 14 | 27 | ? rise 3 49 |14|4|=VALENTINE.= |6 45 |5 15 |? 12 | ? W. ? _Talker_ |15|5|Days inc. 1 22 |6 43 |5 17 | 27 | ? ? ? _may be_ |16|6| _and like for_ |6 42 |5 18 |? 12 | 7 *s sets 1 0 |17|7| _rain, or snow,_ |6 41 |5 19 | 27 | ? sou. 8 21 |18|G|Septuagesima. |6 40 |5 20 |? 12 | ? in ? _no Fool,_ |19|2| _then follows_ |6 38 |5 22 | 26 | Sirius sou. 8 21 |20|3|Day 10 46 long. |6 37 |5 23 |? 10 | ? rise 4 5 |21|4| _clear and cold_ |6 36 |5 24 | 24 | ? sets 9 0 |22|5| _weather; but_ |6 35 |5 25 |? 8 | ? ? ? _but he_ |23|6| _soon changes to_ |6 33 |5 27 | 21 | _is one that_ |24|7|St. Matthias. |6 32 |5 28 |? 3 | ? ? ? _relies_ |25|G|s.e.xagesima. |6 31 |5 29 | 15 | _on him._ |26|2| _snow_ |6 30 |5 30 | 27 | ? rises 3 0 |27|3| _or cold rain._ |6 28 |5 32 |? 9 | ? with ?

|28|4|Day inc. 1 56 m. |6 27 |5 33 | 21 | ? with ?

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=FEBRUARY= hath XXVIII Days.