THE PRIME MOVER. 089 



Again, if it be true, as I have demonstrated, 

 that the mobility and organizing power of matter 

 are in proportion to the quantity of caloric around 

 its atoms, and that these powers are diminished by 

 every abstraction of caloric, or reduction of tem- 

 perature ; it follows, that in the total absence or 

 privation of that principle, (if such a condition 

 were possible,) the atoms of ponderable matter 

 would be perfectly inert, and there could be no 

 attraction, repulsion, contraction, and expansion 

 of matter. 



It was nobly said by Bacon, that " the highest 

 ambition of man should be the discovery of some 

 one thing by which all others might be dis- 

 covered ;" and that " science rightly interpreted, 

 is the knowledge of things through their causes." 

 Nor can there be a rational doubt, that a com- 

 plete knowledge of the prime mover would afford 

 a key by which to unloose the seals of the book 

 of nature, and open the gates that lead to the 

 inner temple of her most hidden mysteries. But 

 owing to the paralyzing influence of custom, pre- 

 judice of education, and the dread of encounter- 

 ing the throned opinions of the world, few have 

 had the boldness to inquire with unreserved free- 

 dom into the final cause of phenomena. The 

 consequence of which has been, that the strength 

 of many an intellectual giant has been wasted in 

 fruitless efforts. 



