THE MECHANISM ONLY OF LIFE 



ber was produced by the tears shed by the daughters 

 of the Sun God one of whose names was Elektron 

 bewailing the loss of their brother, Phacethon. 

 Amber was the source of numberless fables, supersti- 

 tions and romantic interests brought from the distant 

 and almost unknown shores whence it came. The 

 workmen who carved it were seized with strange, 

 nervous twitchings in their hands and arms. It was 

 thought to have a soul. Even to the present day 

 the common people believe there is a charm in amber 

 beads that will preserve infants from poison and from 

 many ills.* The phenomenon was then sui generis ; 

 Electricity, otherwise unknown, was thought to be 

 inherent in the nature of amber, and, as an occult 

 force, was inexplicable. Its connection with light- 

 ning was not dreamed of. Nearly thirty centuries 

 had to pass away before men knew that the force 

 they felt and saw was in the ambient air and ether; 

 amber was only the vehicle for its manifestation. 



Optical phenomena offer many such instances. 

 In the Middle Ages the rainbow was considered to 

 be a miracle. The writer of Genesis ix. 14 states : 

 " When there is a cloud over the earth the bow shall 

 be seen in the cloud." The original Chaldea-Baby- 

 lonian legend poetically describes it : "Afar off, ap- 



* T. Moore sings of " The loveliest amber that ever the sorrowing 

 sea-bird has wept." The sisters of Meleager wept so bitterly over 

 their brother's death that Artemis changed them into birds. 



303 



