164 Prof. D. Kirkwood on the Nebular Hypothesis. 
ut 
this assumed purpose in the place of a physical cause. e are 
not to think it a sufficient account of the clouds that they are for 
watering the earth—to take Bacon’s examples—or ‘ that the sol- 
idness of the earth is for the station and mansion of living crea- 
t 
Legislator. He finds that the effects, of which the use is obvious, 
are produced by most simple and comprehensive laws ; and when 
e has obtained this view, he is-struck by the beauty of the 
means, by the refined and skillful manner in which the use 
effects are brought about ;—points different from those to which 
his researches were directed.” : : 
s the question, then, to which the cosmogony of Laplace pro 
poses a solution, is a legitimate one, we shall proceed to consider 
con 
sequently the resulting planets—would all revolve on nearly f 
same plane. It is evident also that the central orb must aig 
ave a greater absolute velocity than those nearer to it, pile 
would produce the observed unity of direction in the Ce ais 
orbital revolutions. The motions of the satellites are explain 4 
like manner. The hypothesis, moreover, accounts satistieee 4 
for the fact that the orbits of the planets are all nearly © 
* Bridgewater Treatise, vol. ii, p. 180. 
2 
4 
