302 THE ORIGIN OF LIFE 



The Electric Theory of Matter 



An " analogy is often a deceitful guide," yet even 

 in its most dangerous and adventurous pursuits 

 it may sometimes prove to be a helper and friend 

 of the pioneer worker and the guide that arouses 

 some of his loftiest thoughts and inspirations. 



Memorable epigrams are after all only epigrams, 

 even if they have originated from the pens of 

 great masters. They seldom convey more than one 

 aspect of the truth, and analogy may, no doubt, 

 be followed with advantage, when due caution is 

 exercised, and it is not too much to say that some 

 of the great strides which science, and in particu- 

 larly physical science, has made in recent years 

 have been due, to no small extent, to the help 

 which has been derived from the use of mechani- 

 cal contrivances and dynamical analogies that re- 

 present the processes underlying the actions of 

 Nature. 



More particularly has this method been fruitful 

 in attacking the problems presented by electricity 

 and matter and their relation to the aether. 



The theory of matter, which is now engaging so 

 much attention, may be said to be the direct out- 

 come of the earlier studies of the present occupant 

 of the Chair of Newton at Cambridge, embodied 

 in two voluminous memoirs on " The Dynamical 

 Theory of the Laminiferous -(Ether" and on "The 

 Theory of Electrons," published in the Philosophical 

 Transactions some ten years ago. 



