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trative and subtle minds. Their theories in regard to the 

 origin of matter — the elementary substances of which it is 

 composed, their transformations and modifications — are the 

 evidence of their laborious and patient, though fruitless 

 efforts. These theories seem absurd enough now, because 

 we look at them from amidst a brighter light and greater 

 knowledge. They taught that fire, air, earth and water are 

 the elements of all things. Chemistry has demonstrated 

 that not one of these is elementary, but each is itself com- 

 posed of certain constituents, which a more refined che- 

 mistry may in turn demonstrate to be compound. 



We could not but think, while reading the confident and 

 exultant enunciations of our author, that his theories might 

 at some future, and not very distant period, meet with the 

 same treatment; that what is now propounded with so 

 much confidence as a final solution of the great problem — 

 an impregnable cosmology — might in time be found as 

 baseless and whimsical as the water theory of Thales, the 

 air theory of Anaximines, or the harmonies and numbers 

 of Pythagoras. 



We propose to present a few observations on certain 

 parts of this work, especially those where the author ap- 

 plies his methods to the discussion of the laws of mechanics 

 and physics. In these he departs so widely from the me- 

 thods which have been pursued by all the successful culti- 

 vators of science, from those methods which have been 

 instrumental in elevating science to its present pre-eminent 

 position, that his conclusions should be submitted to the 

 closest scrutiny before being admitted. If it is true, as the 

 author claims, that the rational insight can trace out the laws 

 of nature from an a -priori stand-point; if the law of gravity 

 and the laws of light, and the laws of electricity may be de- 

 duced by pure reason, without any assistance from experi- 

 ment or observation ; then were Newton, and Fresnel, and 

 Faraday, and all the great expounders of science the veriest 

 fools, wasting their time and talents on what an acute meta- 



