PHILOSOPHISING IDOLS. 211 



there may be other and accompanying appearances 

 of those states of the atmosphere that precede or 

 accompany rain, we have no more reason to be- 

 lieve that they are primary or active agents than 

 we have for believing that a Lapland witch can 

 raise wind, or fairies prank the sward with cir- 

 cles. Those last-mentioned causes were once in 

 as high repute as any of the witch and fairy super- 

 stitions of philosophy; and though those who 

 know better have discarded the witch and the 

 fairy, there are people who still bow down to the 

 other idols. 



Electricity, and the other supposed disturbing 

 causes of the atmosphere that have been mentioned, 

 are mere appearances which matter under circum- 

 stances, some of which we do and some we do not 

 understand, puts on ; and as it is contrary to the 

 whole tenor of our observation to believe that a 

 mere appearance can act, in any way whatever, 

 we should treat those appearances as sensible 

 people treat all appearances that is, we should 

 say nothing about them which we do not under- 

 stand. That which we call a substance, or mat- 

 ter, is not mere appearance, nor even an accumu- 

 lation of appearances, it is an inference from those 

 appearances and the relations in which we ob- 

 serve them ; and as that inference and the per- 

 ception of those relations, are acts of the mind 

 subsequent upon observation by the senses, we 

 may conjecture and speak of it, and make disco- 

 veries with regard to them by the mind only, even 

 though all our senses should become obliterated ; 

 but with regard to mere appearances they can be 

 known only through the medium of the senses ; 

 and beyond observation every attempt is an error. 

 Nor is there any necessity for inventing new 



