"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart."—Psalm xcvii.
501. What causes the brilliant colours of the diamond?
The refraction of the rays of light by the various facets of the diamond.
The refraction of light, and the production of prismatic colours, surrounds us with most interesting phenomena. The laundress, whose active labours raise over the wash-tub a soapy froth, performs inadvertently one of the most delicate operations of chemistry—the chemistry of the imponderable agents—and the result of her manipulations manifests itself in the delicate colours that dance like a fairy light over the glassy films that follow the motion of her arms. The laughing child, throwing a bubble from the bowl of a tobacco pipe into the air, performs the same experiment, and produces a result such as that which filled the philosophic Newton with unbounded joy. The foam of the seashore, the plumage of birds, the various films that float upon the surface of waters, the delicate tints of flowers, and the rich hues of luscious fruits, all combine to remind us, that every ray of light comes like an angelic artist sent from heaven, bearing upon his palette the most celestial tints, with which to beautify the earth, and show the illimitable glory of God.
CHAPTER XXIV.
502. What is the difference between the refraction and the reflection of light?