Pedestrianism

250 ON THE PHYSICAL quired for their comfort, nor, perhaps, be able to maintain the dominion of the earth against the beast of the forest. But man enjoys every advantage whichcan be derived from the exact adjustment of his capacity to his duty; and if he be" fearfully and won­ derfully made," it is in perfect consistency with that wisdom which is displayed in all the works of nature. As, in thisworld, man hasbeen placed in the first rank of created beings, his mental pow­ ers are not only incomparably beyond those of other animals, but his physicalstrength also exceeds that of most of them. An ingenious Frenchman ascertained the strength of the human frame, by placing on every part of a man's body, standing upright, a number of ' weights in sucha manner, that eachpart sup­ ported as muchas it could bear relatively to the rest; and it was found by this contriv­ ance, that a mancould stand under two thou­ sand pounds. The bulk of the body of a horse is to that of a man as six, or seven are to one jso that, if i -i