Tlie Infinities Around Us Richard A. Proctor. 



67 



have a theory which, as sucli, seems to limit tho domain 

 of life. According to it our world is probably the only 

 inhabited world of tho solar svstem ; according: to it, 

 probably in not more than two members of that system 

 is there any life at all. But then when we remember 

 that tho systems are numbered by millions, and 

 that there is aa infinity of suns, is 

 seems to me such a conception is incorrect, 

 and that, in answer to another class of thinkers, from 

 tho infinity of numbers wo have no right to say that 

 life does not exist where there are no creatures to study 

 them. 



It seems to me as unreasonable, as those philosophers 

 do, to deny existence except in relation to life, as it 

 would bo unreasonable to deny existence in this 

 earth before there were creatures living upon 

 it to admire the works of God seen 

 from its surface. And after that tho great 

 point is that by the study of astronomy chiefly we have 

 brought before us various forms of Infinity and various 

 forms of incouceivablouess, and that this iucouceivable- 

 ness teaches us that religious ideas are not in any way 

 to be dealt with merely as they affect our powers of 

 conception, and it is no answer to any form of religious 

 belief to say that it is inconceivable. We may say it is 

 inconceivable that there should be a miracle, but here we 

 have science teachmsr us tho infinite and the inconceiva- 

 ble. Why then should we consider tho mere argu- 

 ment that such and such a work is inconceivable, when 

 after all, it is only inconceivable to us because it is be- 

 yond our experience. 



Why should we say it is inconceivable as overthrow- 

 ing any relifrlous form of belief ? It seems to me, then, 

 the insrructive part which astronomy brings before us 

 are these iuconceivableuesses, for there are other 

 studies which lead us clown in an opposite direction, an 

 infinite sinallness, an inconceivable infinity of division 

 aud subdivision, and it may well be there are no limits 

 in that direction also. Tuere are other thoughts. Wo 

 are apt to limit our conceptions with the view which is 

 brought b fore us. It may seem a strange and startling 

 thought that tho very reason we 'possess may be merely 

 a lower form, as it were, of possible modes of existence. 



THE SHORTNESS OP LIFE COMPARED WITH THE 

 LENGTH OF TIME. 



We see different modes of existence the existence of 

 the mineral, the yet higher one of tho vegetable, and 

 the yet higher one of the animal aud we may separate 

 the animal from the human in this sense the higher ex- 

 istence of the living creature. But may there not be 

 higher orders of existence, orders as inconceivable to 

 us as the seu.se of sight is to the blind man 1 It seems 

 to me these thoughts would well bear our study, and 

 that it would bo well to remember that what wo know 

 is not the measure of that which is possible. 



Now, in astronomy after all and I must leave the?e 

 subjects, which do not belong to my domain, although 

 1 think it not unworthy of the student of one science to 

 show how his science throws light on subjects belong- 

 ing 1 to another in astronomy after all we have to 

 deal with space, we have to deal with the 

 way in which space is occupied. Aud tbe 

 great infinity that is brought before the student 

 of astronomy is the infinity of space, is tho infinity of 

 unoccupied space. We pass from this earth on which 

 we live, an orb that seems to us the emblem of all that 

 is stable, all that is important and magnificent, and we 

 find ourselves led step upwards to tho higher orders of 

 existence. We paw to orbs, in the Ural place, like 



tho planets Jupiter and Saturn, orbs com- 

 parofl with whirh this earth is a mere point. 

 Then wo are led to tho sun, and then; wo 

 recotrnizo not merely dimension, \n\i powers so 

 gioat that those other orbs from \vliicli we have passed 

 sink by comparison into utter insignificance. Then wo 

 are led to tho stellar distances, distances that separate 

 one part from the other, and them is suggested to us 

 one thought that is well worth tho .considering. If 

 wo take tho analogues of one infinity and 

 infer from this tho analogues of another, we 

 may well believe that tho theory I havn advanced 

 about the time in which life exists is the true one. FOE 

 bo it noted, in spaco wo find that occupied space bears 

 what may be regarded as an infinitely small proportion 

 to unoccupied space. In other words, throughout spaco 

 wo find the dimensions of each orb are infinitely email 

 as compared with the distance separating it from its 

 neighbors. And may it not be that in timo tho same law 

 holds that as the dimensions of an orb of matter 

 are infinitely small as compared with the void around 

 it, so the length of timo occupied may bo in- 

 finitely small as compared to tho unoccupied timo 

 on either side. That corresponds, as you will sec, with 

 my theory that life on this earth will last but an infin- 

 itely short time compared to the void that has passed 

 before and the void to be passed thereafter, and that 

 this is true of the other worlds constituting occupied 

 space. So with this idea that the present; condition of 

 tho sun, which is tho center of circling world.?, is infin- 

 itely short as compared with its future and its past ex- 

 istence. 



To return to the analogues of space, we pass from the 

 solar system to the distances that separate that systoin 

 from its neighbors in space. We pass from ouo orb to 

 another. Wo pass to tho star-clusters to which our sys- 

 tem belongs, to the stellar cluster of which, again, that 

 isonlya portion, aud then we find ourselves brought face 

 to lace with infinity with infinity of space, for that 

 phase of infinity is all that lean venture to deal with. 

 Yet I can remind you that we aro led up from 

 uatrro unto Nature's God; and when I say 

 infinity of space, I cannot fail to recognize infinity 

 of power and goodness also. Seeing, thou, infinity of 

 space, finding ourselves in pivsouce of th > Almighty, we 

 are led to those feelings that the poet Eiohter ascribed 

 to the man in that wonderful dream that ho describes, 

 aud which Da Qaiucy has translated. This dream I re- 

 peated in one of my former lectures, Imt I know of no 

 words more fitting in which to bring my lectures in this 

 country to a close. 



PROCEEDINGS AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE LECTURE. 



At the waii'usion of tho lecture, the RI J V. Dr. S. 

 Iranrcus Prime addressed tiie audience as follows: 



As this is the last lecture Prof. Proctor will trive in 

 this couu'rv, and as this is tho last timo his voice will be 

 heard here.it gives mo great pleasure to comply with 

 tho request of the Committee Who have had this cours* 3 of 

 Irct uros in charge, and pr.'Sont to Prof. Proctor a minute 

 showing of feelings with regard to tho course of lectures 

 he has given to us. 



Having listened with tho highest satisfaction and de- 

 llght to the lectures of Prof. Richard A. I'm, -tor, whose 

 fame had long preceded his visit to our land, wo d^siro 

 on his departure from us to return to his own, to give a 

 faint but sincere expression of our gratitude to this 

 illustrious scholar for tho instructions we hive received 

 from his eloquent lips. He, has ! I us with r^vernit 

 steps through tlio sublhucst paths of tho heavenly 



