64 THE REIGN OF LAW. 



of Law in all its applications is evident enough. 

 In its primary signification, a " law" is the autho- 

 ritative expression of human Will enforced by 

 Power. The instincts of mankind finding utter- 

 ance in their language, have not failed to see 

 that the phenomena of Nature are only really 

 conceivable to us as in like manner the expres- 

 sions of a Will enforcing itself with Power. But, 

 as in many other cases, the secondary or deriva- 

 tive senses of the word have supplanted the 

 primary signification ; and Law is now habitu- 

 ally used by men who deny the analogy on 

 which that use is founded, and to the truth of 

 which it is an abiding witness. It becomes 

 therefore all the more necessary to define the 

 secondary senses with precision. There are at 

 least Five different senses in which Law is habi- 

 tually used, and these must be carefully dis- 

 tinguished : — 



First, We have Law as applied simply to an 

 observed Order of facts. 



Secondly, To that Order as involving the action 

 of some Force or Forces, of which nothing more 

 may be known. 



