THE ASTRONOMICAL VIEW OF NATURE. 381 



the author of this the astronomical view of nature has 44. 



Opposition 



also been the birthplace of a different manner of regard- to the astro- 

 nomical 



ing physical phenomena. It will be the object of a future 

 chapter to trace the origin and growth of what I propose 

 to call the physical view of nature. We shall then learn 

 how the germs of this different view can be traced even 

 in the writings of Newton. But before I take up this 

 subject I must deal with another and independent way 

 of regarding nature which very largely supplemented the 

 astronomical view. If the Newtonian gravitation formula 

 is the basis and principle of physical astronomy of our 

 knowledge of cosmic phenomena the view I am now 

 going to explain has been equally useful in building up 

 another most important science of modern times the 

 science of chemistry. 



