110 



candidly confess that the idea held possession of us during 

 the entire perusal, that all this was nothing but the ordi- 

 nary facts of science translated from their appropriate 

 symbolical language into a metaphysical jargon. The au- 

 thor no doubt supposed that he was reaching these deep 

 truths by his own ratiocination, but in reality was only in- 

 terpreting knowledge already in his mind into his own 

 peculiar and often unintelligible language. 



If there is this fundamental defect in his system — if it is 

 thus unreliable and futile — is not Dr. Hickok doing a great 

 injury to the cause of science, in holding out the idea of 

 this "royal road" to the acquisition of scientific knowledge. 

 Dr. Hickok is an instructor of young men, and he proclaims 

 to them through this book and from his professorial chair, 

 that a knowledge of the laws of nature, as to gravity, mag- 

 netism, electricity and all else may be acquired by "the 

 steady application of the rational insight," starting from 

 first principles. Who that believes in this philosophy, 

 would trouble himself to spend wearisome days and nights 

 in studying the pages of Newton and Herschel and Laplace; 

 who would scale mountains and penetrate into the frozen 

 regions of the poles in search of knowledge; who would 

 torture Nature in crucibles, drown her in acids, consume 

 her in flames, stretch her upon racks, crush her under 

 weights, in order to wring from her the secrets of her being, 

 when he believes that all that he can thus learn can be de- 

 duced from pure reason ? 



Let Dr. Hickok look to himself. He has departed from 

 his own appropriate sphere where he had accomplished much. 

 He has entered a field where his defects and ignorance are 

 too glaring to admit for his achievements either honor or 

 respect. If he fails to meet with all the success in winning 

 adherents, which he flatters himself that he deserves, let him 

 attribute it to the absurdity of his system, which although 

 it is hidden from his own eyes, is apparent to all others. 



