122 ONTOLOGY. 



of polar axes and polar radii separated from each other. 

 Water in infinitely numerous drops is rain. In the 

 primary rain each drop crystallized, and each fell towards 

 the centre, because the primary water ranged over a vast 

 extent. The granular rock has originated in and out 

 of rain. It is crystallized rain. 



550. It does not follow from this, that the earth should 

 be an accidental accumulation of small crystals, which, by 

 the rotation of the planet, formed themselves mechanically 

 into a spheroid. As in small crystals the infinity of 

 poles reunites to constitute some principal polarities, so 

 also is this the case with the globe of the earth ; this 

 results from its genesis whereby it is present in a definite 

 space, and hence coheres or hangs together as one piece. 

 The earth is only one small punctule of contraction 

 wrought in aether- space by the agency of light. Again, 

 it was without doubt a single central tension, which, 

 occurring upon a large scale, attracted together all the 

 particles of aether, and from that circumstance arranged 

 them also. It was probably magnetism, which is so 

 intimately connected with the rotation of the earth's axis, 

 or the conflict of magnetism in its interior with the 

 electricity upon its surface, which was active in the con- 



f densation and arrangement of the masses. 



551. This arrangement of the parts of the earth, upon 

 a large scale, is a regulation of its constituent forms. 

 The adjusting forces are, however, those that operate 

 through the whole sphere, and are thus linear and 

 spherical at one and the same time. By these the 

 laminae of the nucleus were determined. The constituent 

 forms of the earth are consequently arranged in laminae. 

 What in the crystal is called the cleavage of the laminae, 

 is in the earth stratification. The strike of the strata 

 combined with their dip determines the crystal nucleus 

 of the earth. 



552. The strike and dip of the strata happened without 

 doubt according to definite laws of crystallization, and has 

 by no means been resigned to elevating force, mechanical 

 dislocation, or even to chance. 



553. On this very account the two directions of the 



