8 } The Saturnian System. (January, 
may not unfairly be said that this proportion indicates the 
relative position of the two orbs—Saturn and the earth—as - 
respects power in the scheme of the planets. This pro- 
portion seems certainly more truly to indicate their relative 
power than the direct proportion between their masses— 
since we must recognise in the earth’s relative proximity” 
to the sun a source of comparative inferiority as a ruler 
over matter. It is noteworthy, moreover, that if we adopt 
this criterion, Saturn and Jupiter are brought almost to 
equality, notwithstanding the greatly superior mass of the 
last named planet. 
It is to be noticed that the relation here considered bears 
very importantly on the question of the original formation 
of the planetary system. I must admit that, for my own 
part, I find much in Laplace’s conception of the genesis of 
the solar system, which is very far from satisfactory. A 
gradually contracting nebulous mass, such as he pictures, 
could scarcely in my opinion have produced a system in 
which the masses are at a first view so irregularly scattered 
as in the solar system. But if we adopt such a view as I 
have endeavoured to maintain in my ‘‘ Other Worlds,” we find 
in the position of the various members of the solar system 
a satisfactory reason for their various dimensions. Accord- 
ing to that view the solar system had its origin in the 
gathering together of matter towards a great centre of 
aggregation. The subsidiary centres of aggregation which 
would as naturally arise during such a process as subsidiary 
whorls in a gigantic whirlpool, might be expected to have 
such dimensions as we actually observe. Close to the great 
centre, such centres would be relatively small, because the 
ruling centre would be supreme everywhere within the 
sphere close around him, except quite close to subordinate 
aggregations. No matter except such as passed very close 
to such aggregations would be gathered in. We may 
suppose that such aggregations would indeed only form on 
account of the enormous wealth of matter within that 
sphere, and the consequent certainty of collisions, or very 
close approaches resulting in agglomeration; and towards 
the outskirts of this part of the sphere of the sun’s 
influence there would not even be any definite agglome- 
ration, but a number of very small—and, as it were, 
accidental—aggregations resulting in the ring of asteroids. 
Outside the sphere of the sun’s overmastering influence, 
there would still be a great wealth of matter, and gathering 
aggregations would exert their attractive energies far more 
widely. Nearest of all to the central region would come 
