[R] newbie question: how to read a file into a matrix

[Gaby Aguilera]

I am trying to read a file with 8 columns and about 200 rows into a
matrix.  I tried something like:
x<-matrix(data="data.txt", nrow=200, ncol=8) but this produces a
matrix with "data.txt" in it.  Is there a way to read the data in?

Any pointers in the right direction would be appreciated.  Thank you!