Thomson. — On Frankland*s Paper on Mind-Stuf. Ill 



carries him yet further ; it gives him knowledge of letters, and he writes 

 down events ; thus the history of 4,000 years is unlocked to him. By the 

 knowledge of figures he explores the heights of the heavens and the depths 

 of the earth, and beholds with wonder and enjoyment the works of crea- 

 tion. To neither the sentient faculty of the beasts, nor the mere sensualism 

 of humanity, could these be made obvious. They are beyond the "possi- 

 bilities of feeling." 



Then as to Mr. Frankland's doctrine regarding the relations of syn- 

 chronism among elements of feeling having their counterparts among 

 motions of matter, we are again at issue. Our conclusion being that among 

 motions of matter and elements of feeling there is the contrary. Let us by 

 way of illustration take an event, such as the firing of a cannon, wherein 

 there is " motion of matter." By " self-analysis with perfect precision and 

 faithfulness," what would be the relations of an observer's feelings in regard 

 to this ? 



Let, for example, the observer be at 12 miles distance. First he would 

 see the flash, next he would hear the report, then he might smell the fumes 

 were his olfactory nerves peculiarly sensitive and the wind favourable. 

 Now, by these elements of feeling, would there be synchronism in relation 

 to the event ? By precise and scientific analysis not so. For with the 

 knowledge of the speed of light which reason has enabled us to measure, 

 the event would be impressed on the feeling of sight, not synchronously, 

 but xoo^Foo^^ 0^ ^ second after it. By sound it would come to the feeling of 

 hearing one minute after, and carried by the wind it might be smelt in 

 feeling a quarter or half an hour afterwards. Thus among the elements 

 of feeling the relations of events are not in synchronism, but in complete 

 discordance. 



Hence in regard to a single event or events there is no synchronism 

 "between a man's own feelings" and things as they appear to him, one 

 sense leading him t^otto^^ P^^'^ °^ ^ second astray from scientific truth, 

 another one minute, and another a quarter to half an hour. "Feelings," 

 therefore, give no rigid or scientific basis on which to found a " theory of 

 existence;" and if this is to be attained it must be by and through the 

 higher phase of man's natm'e — viz., the ethereal one, reason, which gives 

 him the power of accurate and truthful mental conception, and ultim- 

 ately stable faith and belief. 



And it may be mentioned in passing, though it has no necessary connec- 

 tion with the argument, that neither do separate men's feehngs admit of 

 synchronism as with each other. This fact is well-known to astronomers, 

 when observing by time, wherein it is a fact that one person does not hear 

 or see concurrently. Thus, in time observations : one person hears before 



