PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 657 



substances, after leaving their nebulous, so infinitely diffused, con- 

 dition, came together by gravitation, and finally reached such 

 mutual proximity, that the different -chemical affinities could man- 

 ifest themselves, at an increase of temperature produced by this, 

 very condensation, resulting in a second incre«se in temperature 

 by chemical action; no doubt manifold composition, decomposi- 

 tion and recomposition, combustion, deflagrations and explosions 

 took place, extending over a space of billions of miles, and during 

 a lapse of time of millions of centuries. I will now attempt to 

 elucidate another, in its grand results very important point, namely, 

 that not only matter was not homogeneously diffused, unequal as 

 regard to quality, but also that it was dift'used unequally into 

 space in regard to quantity. If indeed it had been equally dif- 

 fused, every particle would have been attracted equally from all 

 sides, and the attraction of gravitation being balanced all around, 

 would never have produced any effect whatsoever. 



We are entering here upon a grand and sublime inquii'3\ I 

 will attempt to explain the cause of currents, counter-currents 

 and local currents, not extending only over a few thousand miles, 

 like our gulf-stream, but over millions of billions of miles in the 

 nebular matter, the condensation of which formed those round 

 and beautiful stars which shine in the nightly heavens. They 

 were produced by the same law of attraction Avhich forms from 

 the condensation of mist, nebular matter in our atmosphere, the 

 round and l)cautiful waterdrops which glisten in the sunbeam and 

 shine in the rainbow. This inquiry is not mereh^ treating the 

 cause of upheaving a few continents on the surface of our little 

 earth, not even merely the creation of this world, about which 

 Milton sang, but the creation of untold millions of suns, planetary 

 systems, inhabited worlds. I remarked how delightful it is to 

 meditate on such gigantic transformations, and still more so Avhen 

 we take the practical lesson I mentioned, by studying the forma- 

 tion of the little raindrops by the same power of molecular 

 attraction. Let us imagine a clear atmosphere, where a slight fog- 

 is just commencing to show itself, which fog, becoming more 

 dense, at last contains so many watery atoms that they mutually 

 attract, touch, accumulate, increase to visible drops and form the 

 rain, when the atmosphere Avill become clear and transparent again. 

 I love to imagine myself present at the dawn of creation, and to 

 see slightly visible fogs or nebulae show themselves in number- 

 less regions of the infinite space, in the same way as, on a much 



[Am. Inst.] PP 



