THE INDUCTIVE OR INVERSE METHOD. 305 



principles of physical astronomy. Front's Law bears more 

 probability because it would bring the constitution of the 

 elements themselves in close connexion with the atomic 

 theory, representing them as built up out of a simpler 

 substance. 



In historical and social matters, coincidences are fre- 

 quently pointed out which are due to chance, although 

 there is always a strong popular tendency to regard them 

 as the work of design, or as having some hidden cause. 

 It has been pointed out that if to 1 794, the number of 

 the year in which Robespierre fell, we add the sum of its 

 digits, the result is 1815, the year in which Napoleon 

 fell; the repetition of the process gives 1830, the year 

 in which Charles the Tenth abdicated. Again, the French 

 Chamber of Deputies, in 1830, consisted of 402 members, 

 of whom 221 formed the party called, 'La queue de Robes- 

 pierre/ while the remainder, 181 in number, were named 

 ' Les honnetes gens.' If we give to each letter a numerical 

 value corresponding to its place in the alphabet, it will 

 be found that the sum of the values of the letters in each 

 name exactly indicates the number of the party m . 



A number of such coincidences, often of a very curious 

 character, might be adduced, and the probability against 

 the occurrence of each may be enormously great. They 

 must be attributed to chance, because they cannot be 

 shown to have the slightest connexion with the general 

 laws of nature ; but persons are often found to be greatly 

 influenced by such coincidences, regarding them as evidence 

 of fatality, that is of a system of causation governing 

 human affairs independently of the ordinary laws of nature. 

 Let it be remembered that there are an infinite number of 

 opportunities in life for some strange coincidence to pre- 

 sent itself, so that it is quite to be expected that remark- 

 able conjunctions will sometimes happen. 



m S. B. Gould's 'Curious Myths,' p. 222. 

 X 



