INTRODUCTORY 



The object of this book is twofold : first, to pre- 

 sent a revaluation of certain time-honored cosmological 

 theories in the light of present-day knowledge; and, sec- 

 ond, to mold and apply this knowledge in a way to raise 

 astronomy as nearly as may be to the rank of an exact 

 science. Among the chief things I expect to prove are: 

 That the theory of inertia! motions, far from being an 

 aid, is a positive hindrance to the scientific development 

 of the principle of universal gravitation. That all the 

 activities of the universe, including planetary motions 

 both of revolution and rotation, and planetary, solar, 

 and stellar heat, are born of the moment, and are not 

 the inheritance from a dead and mythical past. That 

 were the earth conceived to be gently brought for a mo- 

 ment to complete rest, on being released it would not 

 drop to the sun, but would gradually recover its inter- 

 rupted movements. That were the sun this instant by 

 liat chilled to zero, he would in the next, the fiat being 

 lifted, immediately begin the generation of heat within 

 himself until in a calculable period he would be radiat- 

 ing with the same intensity as now. That, in short, 

 were the whole universe to doze oft' for a time into a 

 state of cold and comatose inaction, it would, on wak- 

 ing, by virtue of its inherent vitality, resume its sus- 

 pended operations with only slight dislocation of its 

 parts, and with a rapid return to its present swing and 

 vigor. In other words, the universe is a perpetual 

 automaton. 



In order to give the reader, in the outset, a general 

 survey of tin* Held to be covered in the chapters follow- 



7 



