80 THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 
Without the aid of the telescope an observer on a clear, moonless 
night can see about 4,000 stars, but by the aid of the telescope mil- 
liont of suns, whose variety and beauty will be revealed. 
From early times scientific men have tried to gain some clear 
and definite ideas of the extent of the starry Heavens, in fact this 
subject although immensely difficult has been the one great theme 
of astronomers of every clime and age, and as knowledge has in- 
creased throughout the world, both general and specific, the study 
of the stars has not dimished but has rather quickened its pace, so 
much so that within the last half century old methods have been 
changed, new ones have been introduced and multiplied, and all 
branches of astronomy are bounding with vigorous life. 
The question before us to-night is: Is this star-lighted canopy 
an endless thing, or has it limits? Is the stellar universe boundless ? 
Is it infinite, or has it somewhere definite limits? This is a great 
question. I have, however, not ventured a paper on it without, to 
some extent at least, having counted the cost. The first question 
that came to my mind when contemplating this subject was, to what 
section of the field of knowledge must I look for material to answer 
this question? Something suggested the philosophical field, but I 
soon discovered that philosophy would not solve the problem.  Phil- 
osophy, as you perhaps all know, deals with pure reason, analogy 
and the general fitness of things in the order of nature. The great 
philosopher Kant proved most admirably the universe to be limited 
and just as admirably he proved it to be unlimited or infinite. 
Hamilton, whilst to a certain extent assisting Kant out of his dilemma, 
fell into a pit hole himself, pointing out by philosophy the impossibility 
of the finite mind conceiving of space being infinite and the impos- 
sibility of the finite mind conceiving of space being bounded. If 
I leave not the philosophical field to answer this question I fear I 
will make no progress to-night. Failing in the philosophical field 
for material to answer this question I set myself immediately to ex- 
plore in the field of astronomical science, this being to me apparently 
my only hope. 
While the science of astronomy does not as yet give us all we 
would like to know, yet the astronomer is not discouraged but is 
hopeful, and says: ‘Give me clear skies, good instruments and 
time enough and I will give you full information regarding all that 
