e 
MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 43 
ordinary men with that of men of science in regard to the tracing of 
events to their causes. The endeavour to find out the causes of 
things, and of the countless changes which are occuring around 
us, is not peculiar to the men of science, but is common to man 
asman. Men cannot be satisfied with the mere knowledge that 
what they perceive is now so and so; a further question forces 
itself uoon the mind, and imperatively demands an answer—viz., 
whence have they arisen—how have they come to be what they 
are? This is not a question first raised by men of science, it 
springs spontaneously in the breast of every man, even the child 
often putting questions regarding the causes and origin of things, 
which are very hard to answer. But while ordinary minds are 
eager enough in demanding an answer to such questions, they 
have in all ages been too prone to form hasty conclusions, as well 
as to accept too readily whatever answer might be given them, 
In this connection it would be interesting to glance at the various 
accounts given of the origin of things in different ages, and by the 
different races of mankind, and to note the extreme readiness with 
which the unscientific mind will invent explanations and accept 
with implicit confidence the agency of beings that never existed. 
Such a subject, however, is manifestly too wide to be taken up on 
the present occasion. I shall, therefore, confine myself to a few 
instances serving to illustrate the fact that ordinary minds are both 
too hasty in assigning the causes of observed phenomena, and too 
ready to accept as causes things that have no connection with 
the event. Thus, eclipses of the sun and moon were long regarded 
as portents of evil, and sure signs of the displeasure of the gods. 
When winds blew loud and fierce, it was believed that AZolus, the 
god of storms, had released from their rocky prison-house Eurus 
and Notus, Africus and Boreas tospread ruin and desolation oversea 
_and land. The motions of the heavenly bodies were explained ina 
similar way. Sun, moon, and stars were gods or goddesses, or 
the souls of departed heroes raised to the rank of demigods and 
admitted to a place among the immortal inhabitants of the skies. 
_But there is no need to go to Mythology for instances of causes 
hastily and irrationally assumed. Two centuries have not yet 
elapsed since the belief in witchcraft was almost universal in 
Britain. Violent storms, shipwrecks, deaths, sudden illness among 
men or cattle, and misfortunes of every kind, were attributed to 
the agency of some unfortunate individual who was believed to 
have mysterious dealings with the prince of darkness. In Britain 
and New England hundreds of innocent, helpless victims were 
burned at the stake through this pernicious and senseless delu- 
sion. The last case of the kind in Britain occurred as late as 
1722. And, have we not at the present day in the so-called phe- 
nomena of spiritualism a notable example both of the undiscrimi- 
nating manner in which appearances are accepted as facts, and of 
the hasty, unreasoning way in which causes, are assumed by the 
multitude? Tylor, in his ‘ Primitive Culture,’ says:—‘ The re- 
ceived Spiritualistic theory belongs to the philosophy of savages. 
As to such matters as apparitions or possessions, this is obvious ; 
and it holds in more extreme cases. Suppose a wild North Ameri- 
can Indian looking on at a spirit-séance in London. As to the 
presence of disembodied spirits, manifesting themselves by raps, 
noises, voices, and other physical actions, the savage would be 
