and Cosmogony. 119 



objects, which were still visible, appeared of a uniform colour. 

 Knowing that the pupil is always, except in myopes, dihited in 

 ob.«cure linht and when viewing dark ohjects, 1 now darkened 

 the chiiinher to a considerable degree ; and instead of the white 

 central paper of tin inclies, used in the former experiment, I 

 substituted a I'lnck paper sixteen inches in diameter. Retiring 

 as before, I arrived at the former distance of four feet, which I 

 had. marked, and now completely lost sight of the central black 

 object ; while the wall and the extreme papers were seen the 

 same as in tiie former experiment. If any thing were wanting 

 to conhrm the truth of t!ie theory, nothing can be required 

 more demonstrative than tliis experiment ; which shows, what I 

 have already proved in the work itself, that the pupil is the 

 cause of this defect in vision, and not any insensibility in the 

 hase oi the optic nerve ; an hypothesis that introduces a most 

 unaccountable anomaly into the nervous system. 



Before 1 lay down my pen, allow me to make a few remarks upon 

 the animadversions that huve appeared in the Philosophical Ma- 

 gazine, upon some minor parts of my former communications. 

 I confess 1 am by no means partial to " the cramhe ifpetita," 



with which your correspondent F. E s so fondly anticipates 



being treated. It has generally been found, where the appetite 

 for this dish has been indulged, it has ended in an incurable 

 cacoethes. When replies and recriminations are multiplied, 

 without any thing new being elicited, it is pretty evident that 

 oiie of tlie parties, at least, is prompted by something else than 



regard for truth. Mr, F. E s, in his reply to Dr. Prichard*, 



has imputed to me the opinion, that Moses in writing the Ge- 

 iiesis was iniliienced by " a circuitous inspiration;" a charge 

 which I defy all the art of sophistry to extract from any thing 

 I have written. I shall not fatigue your readers by bringing them 

 over the accunmlated rubbish, through which thev have been so 

 often dragged already, in order to determine in whose premises 

 error lies ; but shall point out the particular parts in the ground- 

 plan whicii have been infringed. Moses, in so many words, has 

 declared that the universe had a ieginning^ and that this earth, 

 with all its inhabitants, was formed within so many periods of 

 time. The necessary inference is, that these events never could 

 have been known, but by a revelation from the Creator himself. 

 But heathen nations, as well as the Hebrews, were, at the time 

 Moses wrote, in possession of certain accounts of the origin of 



• the world. From this grand principle, common to the Cos- 



• mogonies, in connexion witli a few less remarkable coincidences, 

 -it has been inferred, that some account of the. Ijcginving of things 



* Plii!. Ma};. No. 219, p. 19. 



H4 had 



