OF COMMON MATTER. 107 



ons, which the same original particles are 

 made to undergo I contend, on the con- 

 trary, that the original particles of which 

 the different elements are constituted, are 

 originally and essentially different. I con- 

 tend, that the solid matter is not only es- 

 sentially different from the liquid the earth 

 from the water both different from air and 

 fire ; and all of them different from the solar 

 rays ; and as a consequence of the diver- 

 sity in the attributes of each, that it is most 

 unphilosophical, and unscientific, to ascribe 

 the phenomena, or effects, which each of them 

 severally displays, to the operation of one 

 and the same law. Finally, it may be pre- 

 sumed, that the various observations which 

 have been made, by Dr. HERSCHEL, and other 

 celebrated astronomers, on the nature of the 

 dark and opake matter, of which the body of 

 the sun is supposed to be composed, are opti- 

 cal errors, from the imperfection, and insuffici- 

 ency, of the instruments employed ; that these 

 spots, instead of constituting different integrant 

 portions of the sun itself, are rather to be con- 

 sidered as collected masses of opake matter, 

 interposed in the medium alone ; that from the 

 fugitive and evanescent nature of these spots, 

 it is reasonable to suppose, that they exist 

 below the disc of the sun, and are out of it ; 



