noon
Then gazing at his quadrant , and handling , one after the other , its numerous cabalistical contrivances , he pondered again , and muttered : `` Foolish toy ! babies ' plaything of haughty Admirals , and Commodores , and Captains ; the world brags of thee , of thy cunning and might ; but what after all canst thou do , but tell the poor , pitiful point , where thou thyself happenest to be on this wide planet , and the hand that holds thee : no ! not one jot more ! Thou canst not tell where one drop of water or one grain of sand will be to-morrow noon ; and yet with thy impotence thou insultest the sun ! Science ! Curse thee , thou vain toy ; and cursed be all the things that cast man 's eyes aloft to that heaven , whose live vividness but scorches him , as these old eyes are even now scorched with thy light , O sun ! Level by nature to this earth 's horizon are the glances of man 's eyes ; not shot from the crown of his head , as if God had meant him to gaze on his firmament .