THE QUESTION OF FACT. 29 



New Science are more independent of anything ex- 

 traneous than those of any other Science, if we except 

 'Logic and the Mathematics. 



41. But the 4 question of the possibility of the dis- 

 covery of a New Universal Science may as well now 

 give place to the question of fact. Such a Science 

 claims to exist ; and what is possible will best be 

 understood by some exposition of what is. Even 

 here we are met by immense difficulties in respect to 

 the mere method of presentation. If a lecturer were 

 endeavoring to give an idea of America, in a single 

 lecture, to the inhabitants of another country entire- 

 ly ignorant of this, he would be embarrassed by the 

 largeness of the subject. If he dwelt on the immense 

 extent of the country, its various climates, its huge 

 rivers, lakes and mountains, he would be carrying 

 the mind of his hearers away from ah 1 comparison 

 with the familiar neighborhood experiences of their 

 own home lives ; from that in which, probably, they 

 would be most particularly interested. If, on the 

 contrary, to overcome this difficulty, he should con- 

 form to their habits of thought, and sketch neigh- 

 borhood life in America at some point as nearly re- 

 sembling their own as might be, he might accomplish 

 his last purpose, but he would fail to give any ade- 

 quate idea of America in those aspects in which it 

 especially differs from all other countries. 



42. The Universe, as the Domain and Subject of a 

 New Science, is an infinitely larger field of novelty 

 and variety; and it is less easy to condense it into 

 a single volume, than it is to treat adequately of 



