HISTOBY OF THE ATOMIC THB(»IY. 



125 



Thi8, on Geoffrey, is taken from Thomson's Chemistry, 

 edition of 1817. The tables are in all the older chemical 

 books. I have not seen the original. 



Although these tables were extended and improved by 

 Gellert and Sage, they were not altered in principle until the 

 middle of last century. Although every thing is indefinite 

 here, that is, unfixed by numbers representing either weight or 

 measure, a certain order is given to the substances known to 

 chemists, a classification is produced, certain laws are laid 

 down, and some relation of one body to another is given, at 

 the same time bodies begin to get a definite character and 

 position, and are not mixed up in a confused mass together, 

 capable at any moment of playing the most fantastic tricks 

 with the operators, and converting the chemist from a natu- 

 ralist to a magician. 



In speaking of atoms we must not confine ourselves to 

 bodies that cannot be divided ; Newton and others being satis- 

 fied with such as are not usually divided. Newton's well 

 known words are these : — " It seems probable to me that 

 God in the beginning formed matter in solid, massy, hard, 

 impenetrable, moveable particles, of such sizes and figures, 

 and with such other properties, and in such proportion to 

 space, as most conduced to the end for which He formed 

 them ; and that these primitive particles being solid, are in- 

 comparably harder than any porous bodies compounded of 

 them ; even so very hard as never to wear, or break in pieces ; 

 no ordinary power being able to divide what God himself 

 made one in the first creation. While these particles con- 

 tinue entire, they may compose bodies of one and the same 

 nature and texture in all ages ; but should they wear away, 



