MODIFIED ly COMPRESSION. "5 
fcurity of his writings. I was induced by that charm, and by 
_ the numerous original facts which his fyftem had led him to 
- 
obferve, to liften to his arguments, in favour of opinions which 
I then looked upon as vifionary. I thus derived from his con- 
verfation, the fame advantage which the world has lately done 
from the publication of Mr Prayrair’s Illu/trations ; and, ex- 
perienced the fame influence which is now exerted by that 
work, on the minds of our moft eminent men of {cience. 
Arter three years of almoft daily warfare with Dr Hurt- 
Ton, on the fubje& of his theory, I began to view his funda- 
mental principles with lefs and lefs repugnance. There is a 
period, I believe, in all fcientific inveftigations, when the con- 
jectures of genius ceafe to appear extravagant; and when 
we balance the fertility of a principle, in explaining the phe- 
nomena of nature, againft its improbability as an-hypothefis : 
The partial view which we then obtain of truth, is perhaps the 
moft attractive of any, and moft powerfully ftimulates the 
exertions of an active mind. The mift which obfcured fome 
objects diflipates by degreee, and allows them to appear in their 
true colours ; at the fame time, a diftant profpect opens to our 
view, of fcenes unfufpected before. 
ENTERING now ferioufly into the train of reafoning fol- 
lowed by Dr Hutron, I conceived that the chemical effeéts 
aferibed by him to compreffion, ought, in the firft place, to be 
inveftigated ; for, unlefs fome good reafon were given us for 
believing that heat would be modified by preffure, in the man- 
ner alleged, it would avail us little to know that they had 
acted together. He refted his belief of this influence on ana- 
logy; and on the fatisfactory folution of all the phenomena, 
furnifhed by this fuppofition. It occurred to me, however, 
that this principle was fufceptible of being eftablithed in a di: 
rect manner by experiment, and I urged. him to make the at- 
tempt; but he always rejected this propofal, on account of 
K2 . the 
