92 CROONIAN LECTURES 



liquid matter diffused through living liquids, 

 or temporarily attached to more solid granular 

 matter? 



Notwithstanding our ignorance, let us at- 

 tempt to gain knowledge by following in the 

 footsteps of the abiological sciences. 



Whatever form of motion or tension proceeds 

 from the body, let us regard it not as created or 

 destroyed, but as the representative and equiva- 

 lent of that energy which went into the body. 



Let us consider that the balance of in-going 

 and out-coming energy of the body is exactly 

 comparable with the balance of the in-going 

 and out-coming ponderable matter ; and let us 

 remember that these balances are inseparably 

 dependent the one on the other. 



The views which I have endeavoured to 

 bring before you will be at once condemned as 

 materialism by those who think that they know 

 more of matter than as the fixed abode of 

 force, and more of force than as that which 

 gives energy to matter. 



Those who are so ready to use the word 

 materialism as a reproach, should remember 

 that they can give no definition of matter 

 which does not involve the definition of force, 



