104 Mr W he well's Address to the British Association 



imaginary arrangements of these atoms> and enunciate these as 

 explanations of dimorphism, or plesiomorphism, or any other 

 apparent exception to the general principle, we proceed, as ap^ 

 pears to me, un philosophically. Let us collect and classify the 

 facts of dimorphism and plesiomorphism, and see what rules they 

 follow, and we may then hope to discern whether our atomic 

 theory of crystalline molecules is tenable, and what modifications 

 of it these cases, uncontemplated in its original formation, now 

 demand. 



Morals of Science. — I will not now attempt to draw forth other 

 lessons which the Report of last year may supply for our future 

 guidance ; although such oifer themselves, and will undoubtedly 

 affect the spirit of our proceedings during this Meeting. But 

 there is a reflection belonging to what I may call the morals of 

 science, which seems to me to lie on the face of this Report, and 

 which I cannot prevail upon myself to pass over. In looking 

 steadily at the past history and present state of physical know- 

 ledge, we cannot, I think, avoid being struck widi this thought, — 

 How little is done and how much remains to do; — and again, not- 

 withstanding this, how much we owe to the great philosophers 

 who have preceded us. It is sometimes advanced as a charge 

 against the studies of modern science, that they give men an 

 overweening opinion of their ow^n acquirements — of the supe- 

 riority of the present generation, — and of the intellectual power 

 and progress of man : — that they make men confident and con- 

 temptuous, vain and proud. That they never do this, would be 

 much lo say of these or of any other studies ; but, assuredly, those 

 must read the history of science with strange prepossessions who 

 iind in it an aliment for such feelings. What is the picture 

 which we have had presented to us? Among all the attempts 

 of man to systematize and complete his knowledge, there is one 

 science, Astronomy, in which he may be considered to have 

 been successful ; he has there attained a general and certain 

 theory : for this success, the labour of the most highly gifted 

 portion of the species for 5000 years has been requisite. There 

 is another science, Optics, in which we are, perhaps, in the act 

 of obtaining the same success, with regard to a part of the phe- 

 nomena. But all the rest of the prospect is comparatively dark- 

 ness and chaos ; limited rules, imperfectly known, imperfectly 



