202 Analyses of Books. [March, 



a bottle of otto of roses is held to his nose. How could this be 

 the case if he did not remember the smell of a rose ; that is, if 

 he had not an idea of the smell of a rose, according to our 

 author's definition of idea. In the same way we can remember 

 tastes and feelings, and even particular kinds of painful or 

 pleasant feelings, and recognise them again whenever they occur. 

 This shows clearly that our author's distinction is fanciful. 



3. Words standing for causes whose effects alone we witness, 

 and thence judge the existence of the cause, without being able 

 to form any conception of it. The terms heat and cold, when 

 used for material agents, our author considers as of this kind. 

 I do not perceive the accuracy of this opinion any more than of 

 the preceding. 1 have just as good a notion of heat as a cause 

 as 1 have of any other cause whatever. With respect to the 

 Supreme Being, it is true that we can form no precise notion of 

 his shape or size ; but we can form pretty exac t ones of his power, 

 his wisdom, his goodness. Sec. 



4. W^ords which at present have no ideas attached to them, 

 although the contrary might have been the case when they were 

 originally brought into use. In consequence of the existence of 

 such words, our author thinks that a man cannot understand 

 English without the knowledge of all the languages from which 

 it is derived. Now I must acknowledge that (laying unmeaning 

 oaths aside, which are now banished polite conversation) I da 

 not believe that any such words occur in the English language. 

 Our author gives hlaspheiny, as an example, and heresy as 

 another. jNow the meaning of the word blasphemy in the New 

 Testament is an attempt to lower the character of God, knowing 

 the allegation to be false. Now this is the meaning which it 

 bears also in the English language. Heresi/ now signifies reli^ 

 gious opinions contrary to those established by law. It is 

 likewise the term which a man (supposing no religion established 

 by law) would apply to every set of religious doctrines contrary 

 to his own. In this way might every English word be defined, 

 and a mere Englishman, if he were to make hinrself acquainted 

 ■with these definitions, would understand his own language 

 better than the most learned etymologist in the universe. W^ould. 

 an Englishman understand the meaning of the word physician 

 any better by being told that it was derived from a Greek word 

 which signifies a naturalist ! 



XVI. Account of some remarkable Facts observed in the Deoxi^- 

 dation of Metals, particularli/ Silver and Copper. By Samuel 

 Lucas, Esq. — According to Mr. Lucas, when silver or copper is 

 kept melted in contact with the air, the metal absorbs a portioft 

 of oxygen, which it retains while in fusion ; but on the metal 

 becoming solid, the gas is extricated with considerable rapidity,, 

 and occasions an explosion if the extrication takes place by 

 pouring the melted metal into water. The gas extricated from 

 silver in this way was examined by Mr. Dalton, and found tft. 



