APPENDIX D. *59 



antediluvian patriarch, in merely polling the votes.&quot; Lastly; 

 if we take the higher view of the term Form, his Method has 

 failed to bring us nearer to the discovery of it. 



Let me add a few words on Modern Induction ; the subject 

 is a long one, but I will try to be brief. Its main object is the 

 discovery of Laws of Nature ; and by these Laws, taking the 

 term in a wide sense, are meant those general facts which ob 

 servation and experiment teach us to lay down as invariable. 

 Thus the Law of Gravity, the Law of Refraction, the Law of 

 Polarization, the Law of Actinism, these are all short state 

 ments of uniform facts, some more and some less general in 

 their application, but all invariable in their action, so far as we 

 know. From this we gather, that Modern Induction does not 

 seek for Causes, as the Ancient was said to do, but is content 

 to obtain those &quot; generalizations from experience&quot; which form 

 the groundwork of the Sciences. Of these general expressions 

 some are attainable by analysis, as many of those of Chemistry 

 are ; others require shrewdness, sagacity, and power of invent 

 ing Hypotheses, which may account for the Phenomena. And 

 it is this hitting upon the Law to answer to the isolated facts 

 in our possession which distinguishes Modern Induction from 

 Ancient ; and it is in this that the genius of modern times 

 peculiarly shews itself. Thus Kepler hit at last upon an Hy 

 pothesis which accounted for the Orbit of Mars, and the Ellip 

 tical Motion of that Planet having once been ascertained, the 

 Law was soon shewn to be applicable to the other planets as 

 well. And it was afterwards beautifully connected with the 

 Law of Gravity by the demonstrations of Central Forces : a 

 fine instance of Bacon s &quot; quando Physicum terminatur in 

 Mathematico.&quot; 



From this it will appear that the prominent conception in 

 Modern Induction is not that of Method. In fact, it is not at 

 all clear that we may use any such phrase as &quot; the Method of 

 Modern Induction ;&quot; for it is very doubtful whether the prose 

 cution of Modern Science can ever be put under one law or 

 set of laws. Each wise student of Nature has sought his in 

 spirations from her, by observing her doings, and by experi 

 ment upon them ; by judicious selection of critical instances : 



