516 LOSS 01 HEAT AND LIGHT IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM. 



of the heat generated would begin, and would continue until the entire 

 heat force was exhausted, and the mass become cold. During this gradual 

 dispersion of heat, the mass of matter would gradually shrink. Now, sup- 

 pose this mass, while so intensely heated and expanded, should be revolving 

 on its own axis, by which a force or tendency to throw off was established 

 at its outer surface, it is probable that the central indrawing attractive force 

 would be overcome on the extreme outer surface by this counter force, or 

 tendency to throw off, leaving rings at the outer surface. These rings 

 would have themselves a center of attraction peculiar to themselves, and 

 would be ultimately drawn together around a common center. Now, sup- 

 pose these bodies thrown off to vary in mass, the smaller ones would lose 

 their heat in less time than the larger ones, and we should find the differ- 

 ent parts of the original mass so separated varying in intensity of heat, and 

 this variation or difference in degree would continue until the dispersion of 

 heat from all of them was complete. 



Heat, then, may be considered an accident of matter, which may be 

 called into existence and dispersed by certain of its phases. Light depend- 

 ent on heat, and perhaps also electricity may be placed in the same cate- 

 gory. But you ma}^ perceive that in our supposed globes or balls, while 

 heat, light, and perhaps electricity, are but evanescent, there is one force 

 which is constant — a force "without variation or shadow of change " — a 

 force which says to the expansion of heat, " Thus far shalt thou go, and no 

 farther." I mean the great force of attraction, which is as silent, as con- 

 stant, as durable, as time itself. Heat, light, life — all are the direct or in- 

 direct results of this silent force. The genial heat and light, which give life 

 and beauty to the vast surface of our earth, are but the unexpended rem- 

 nant of the heat and light called into being by a former collision of the sun 

 and his attendant planets, caused by the ever-present, unrelenting force of 

 attraction. We will suppose the heat of the solar system, as in case of our 

 balls or globes, to be entirely dispersed, and the whole mass of matter of 

 which the solar system is composed, like them, hurled together, the heat 

 generated by the impact would be so great as to throw off its entire matter 

 in an incandescent gaseous or nebulous condition. But this would not de- 

 stroy, effect, or change the attractive force. On the contrary, the expansive 

 force of the heat thus generated would be, within definite limits, overcome 

 by the central attractive force. A dispersion of heat and a shrinkage or 

 indrawing of the matter would begin. Kings would be formed by the op- 

 posing centripetal and centrifugal forces ; these rings would be each 

 drawn to a common center, and a system of worlds similar to those of 

 our present solar system would be the result. How often it has undergone 

 these changes is beyond the power of the imagination to conceive. Like 

 the fabled Phoenix, our solar system, with all its manifold, varied and mys- 

 terious life, rises into new life and vigor from the ashes of its own ruin. 

 While Ave find inherent in matter forces sufficiently potent to generate all 

 of the heat and light of the solar system, with all their resultant phe- 



