COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



them as we like, and say nothing about those 

 which do not suit our purpose." And what 

 does all this amount to ? Is this Mr. Froude's 

 idea of historical investigation ? Why, the same 

 thing may be done in any science. We have 

 only to pick out all the facts on one side, and 

 blink all the facts on the other side, to prove 

 the veracity of every oracle, soothsayer, and 

 clairvoyant that ever existed, the validity of 

 every paltry omen, the credibility of every crazy 

 notion of alchemy or judicial astrology. In this 

 way we may prove that the homoeopathist always 

 saves his patient, while the allopathist always 

 kills him ; or vice versa. And it was in this 

 way that the phrenologists erected their pseudo- 

 science. By following this method, also, it be- 

 comes easy to prove that Henry VIII. was an 

 exemplary husband. It is in this way that 

 every incorrect or inadequate hypothesis in 

 physical science or in history has arisen, and 

 gained temporary recognition. Supposing Ty- 

 cho Brahe had said to his Copernican antago- 

 nists, " Astronomy is like a child's box of let- 

 ters ; if we take out what we want and let the 

 rest go, we can spell whatever we please ; I spell 

 out the Ptolemaic hypothesis, and will there- 

 fore abide by it ; " he would have been talking 

 much after the manner of Mr. Froude. It is 

 true, as Mr. Froude further says, that one phi- 

 losopher believes in progress, a second in retro- 

 246 



