fore, that drought or rain is expected to predominate, the uncertainty implied by 

 the term expected must be understood to belong to the knowledge, or rather 

 ignorance, of him who makes the prediction, and not to the event, which, as 

 we have shown, is necessary, and not contingent. 



But the most absurd of these explanations is that of the word changeable, 

 which is here used in a most novel sense. Changeable weather, in the ordi- 

 nary use of the word, is applied to weather which changes frequently and sud- 

 denly at short intervals, from fair and clear to cloudy and wet. But the weather- 

 almanac sense of this term is, weather in which it is uncertain whether drought 

 or rain will predominate. Now, as we have already shown that no uncertainty 

 can attend the weather itself, but that the uncertainty belongs only to the mind of 

 the author of the weather almanac, it will be necessary to remember that change- 

 cable weather is weather about which the said author confesses that he has no 

 foreknowledge ; thus, though for a week the face of the heaA r ens continue clear 

 and cloudless, the temperature of the air mild and uniform, and the atmosphere 

 calm and still, yet the weather during such week might be changeable, accord- 

 ing to the weather almanac, and its author would claim the credit of a predic- 

 tion fulfilled. In fact, every day in the year to which he has annexed the 

 word changeable, must fulfil his prediction, whatever be the state of the 

 weather ; since, happen what will, no one can doubt the uncertainty of the 

 author's own mind as to the event, when that uncertainty is itself the essence 

 of his prediction. 



The author states, that by wind he means a gale, excluding' from this term ( 

 light winds ; also, that by storm he means a more violent gale ; and that tJiun- 

 der and storm are to be considered to a certain extent synonymous, it being not 

 always possible to decide in which way these phenomena will develop them- 

 selves. 



To these explanations we have nothing to object, and have only to say, that 

 it were better for the author's reputation for honesty or sanity, if he had car- 

 ried his indecision to a much greater extent. We are told in the preface, that 



" When it is taken into account that, as connected with the principles and 

 laws of movement, of temperature, &c., in the sun and planets a totally new 

 class of proofs never, perhaps, so much as supposed to exist by the immortal 

 Newton, nor by any other, is proposed ly the present work ; and which, if found, 

 to a certain extent, correct, will have the effect of placing these departments 

 of science a century in advance ; it will be allowed that, independent of its 

 utility in other respects, this should be sufficient to secure it a favorable recep- 

 tion from an enlightened public. 



" In regard to the principles themselves on which the calculations of the 

 weather are founded, it will be sufficient to say that, as, according to any prin- 

 ciples hitherto known or recognised, calculations of the kind could not be 

 mad ; ,, the circumstances necessarily presupposes the discovery of others ; and 

 as snowing the connexion of the latter with, it may be said every department 

 of the physical sciences, and, consequently, with the interests of every class 

 of society a scientific notice is subjoined by the editor, in order that such of 

 the patrons of the almanac as may feel disposed to obtain information on the 

 subject, may have the opportunity to consult his views." 



( )n reading this, we turned with strong feelings of curiosity to the scientific 

 , in the hope of being informed of the " totally new class of proofs, never 

 >sod to exist by the immortal Newton, nor by any other." But alas! so 

 imperfect was our intellectual vision, that we looked in vain, and we forced our- 

 selves with those others who, in common with "the immortal Newton," not only 

 never supposed such proofs to exist, but cannot persuade ourselves even now 

 of their existence. In truth, were it not for the high scientific reputation of 



