FINAL CAUSES. 353 



Bacon's examples,) or " that the solidness of the 

 earth is for the station and mansion of living 

 creatures." The physical philosopher has it for 

 his business to trace clouds to the laws of evapo- 

 ration and condensation ; to determine the mag- 

 nitude and mode of action of the forces of cohe- 

 sion and crystallization by which the materials 

 of the earth are made solid and firm. This he 

 does, making no use of the notion of final 

 causes : and it is precisely because he has thus 

 established his theories independently of any 

 assumption of an end, that the end, when, after 

 all, it returns upon him and cannot be evaded, 

 becomes an irresistible evidence of an intelligent 

 legislator. He finds that the effects, of which 

 the use is obvious, are produced by most simple 

 and comprehensive laws ; and when he has ob- 

 tained this view, he is struck by the beauty of 

 the means, by the refined and skilful manner in 

 which the useful effects are brought about; 

 points different from those to which his researches 

 were directed. We have already seen, in the very 

 case of which we have been speaking, namely, 

 the laws by which the clouds are formed and 

 distribute their showers over the earth, how 

 strongly those who have most closely and exten- 

 sively examined the arrangements there em- 

 ployed (as Howard, Dalton, and Black) have 

 been impressed with the harmony and beauty 

 which these contrivances manifest. 

 w. 5 A A 



