204 PROCEEDINGS OP PROVINCIAL SOCIETIES 



quotations were adduced from Sir Isaac Newton, to shew how de- 

 sirous he was of keeping his system of philosophy clear of hypo- 

 theses : amongst which was the following — '' Hypotheses non fingo. 

 Quicquid enim ex phaenomenis non deducitur, hypothesis vocanda 

 est ; et hypotheses seu metaphysicae, seu physicae, seu qualitatum 

 occultarum, seu mechanicae, in philosophia experimentali (meaning 

 mathematical natural philosophy based upon experiment) locum non 

 habent." Some remarks were here also made respecting the Undu- 

 latory Theory of Light, and upon Hypothetical Theories in general ; 

 after which the lecturer quoted Sir Robert Boyle, to shew the dif- 

 ficulty of framing a good hypothesis, and the danger there was of 

 its being overthrown by facts in future times. This view of an Hy- 

 pothetical Theory — of what Cotes, in the gaiety of his wit, expressed 

 by the word " fabulam" — coincides with the still more facetious 

 saying of Voltaire — ^' Une theorie est une souris : elle etait passee 

 par neuf trous, un dixieme I'arrete." The lecturer concluded his 

 observations on this part of his subject by recommending to the at- 

 tention of his pupils the maxim of Des Cartes — " Primum erat, ut 

 nihil unquam veluti verum admitterera nisi quod certo et eviden- 

 ter verum esse cognoscerem ; hoc est, ut omnem prsecipitantiam 

 atque anticipationem in judicando diligentissime vitarem ; nihilque 

 amplius conclusione complecterer ; quam quod tam clare and dis- 

 tincte rationi mete pateret, ut nullo modo in dubium possem revo- 

 care." 



Several illustrations were given, in the next place, to shew that 

 true natural philosophy is always endeavouring to derive the causes 

 of all things from the simplest possible principles. As an effect of 

 this, it was mentioned that the two formerly distinct sciences of 

 Electricity and Galvanism had become identified, and that philoso- 

 phers were every day drawing closer the connection between Elec- 

 tricity and Magnetism ; so that future times mifiht see them answer- 

 ing to the same name, and as it were, matrimonially merged into 

 one flesh. 



The last of the characteristics of " true natural philosophy" had 

 reference to the methods by which its researches were conducted — 

 viz., the analytical and the synthetical. These were each illustrated 

 and explained : after which, the lecturer proceeded to delineate the 

 course which he intended to pursue with his pupils. In order that 

 the designs of the governors in instituting these lectures might be 

 fulfilled, by supplying the desiderata acknowledged in the regula- 

 tion of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, and the recom- 

 mendation of the Society of Apothecaries, already quoted ; it would 

 be necessary for his scheme to comprehend both " mathematics" and 

 " natural philosophy." Now these terms were frequently used in such 

 a vague sense, that he dared not interpret the former as meaning 

 pure mathematics only , i. e., mathematics unconnected with physics; 

 nor should he be warranted in understanding by the latter, exclu- 

 sively that philosophy which, if it deserve the name, consists in a 

 mass of ilLconnected experiments, without involving any logical 



