45^ ON ATOMS. 



simple ones. They involve all the " ologies " and all the 

 "ometries," and in these days we know something of 

 what that implies. Their movements, their interchanges, 

 their "hates and loves,'' their "attractions and repul- 

 sions," their " correlations," their what not, are all deter- 

 mined on the very instant. There is no hesitation, no 

 blundering, no trial and error. A problem of dynamics 

 which would drive Lagrange mad, is solved instaiiter, 

 " Solvitiw anibulandor A differential equation which, 

 algebraically written out, would belt the earth, is inte- 

 grated in an eye-twinkle ; and all the numerical calcu- 

 lation worked out in a way to frighten Zerah Colburn, 

 George Bidder, or Jedediah Buxton. In short, these 

 atoms are most wonderful little creatures. 



Hermione. Wonderful indeed ! Anyhow, they must 

 have not only good memories, but astonishing presence 

 of mind, to be always ready to act, and always to act 

 w'lthout mistake, aocording to " the primary laws of their 

 being," in every comphcation that occurs. 



Hermcgeiics. Thou hast said it ! This is just the point 

 I knew you must come to. ^\\q presence of iii^Ji is. what 

 solves the whole difiiculty ; so far, at least, as it brings it 

 within the sphere of our own consciousness, and into 

 conformity with our own experience of lamat action is. 

 We know nothing but as it is conceivable to us from our 

 own mental and bodily experience and consciousness. 

 When we know we act, we are also conscious of will 

 and effort; and action without will and efibrt is to u'j, 

 constituted as we are, unrealizable, unkno\!'able, iiicoxi- 

 ceivable. 



