118 



Reviews and Notices of Books. 



" put ourselves out of the category of gentlemanly writers" (the 

 same pregnant p. 52), because we animadverted on the conduct of 

 certain journals in praising his curiously absurd essay, instead of 

 pointing out its errors, or passing it over in silence. Tantcene 

 amimis coelestibus irtE ? 



To the last of the above charges we are afraid we must again 

 expose ourselves. Mr Worms, of whom we had hoped we had 

 heard the last, has permitted the publication, by Mr Reddie, of a 

 note in which he states that he considers our estimate of his book 

 (ante, vol. xvii. p. 104) "quite beneath his notice." Messrs Worms 

 and Reddie, though both in egregious error, do not very cordially 

 agree — except in their opinion of us. Now to every word of our 

 remarks on Mr Worms we most positively adhere, and we are 

 profoundly afflicted (for the sake of British science) that a journal 

 of such deservedly high character as the " Athenseum" has in 

 this instance (though it did detect Mr Reddie) unguardedly given 

 its sanction to a most absurd mixture of original nonsense and 

 spoiled extracts. Let us add in conclusion, that our good-humour 

 and impartiality are not to be soured or distorted by abuse, and 

 that, in spite of the terrible epithets Mr Reddie has applied to us, 

 we shall keep on the gloves as usual in our next encounter with 

 him, which, unless appearances are deceitful, is not likely to be 

 long deferred. 



Sketch of Elementary Dynamics. By W. Thomson and 

 P. G. Tait. Edinburgh : Maclachlan and Stewart. 



We do not remember ever to have seen a work on dynamics in 

 which the fundamental principles of the science were more clearly 

 and beautifully explained than they are in the pamphlet which 

 we have just perused. 



Any one who has glanced over the volumes on elementary 

 mechanics (and their number is legion) which form the text- 

 books of our schools, must, we think, have perceived in most of 

 these a want of philosophical method and clearness of conception 

 displayed by the author in his treatment of the subject. 



We appeal especially to the student who has read one of these 

 text-books for information, if it did not require a very great 

 mental effort on his part to recognise the different branches as 

 really forming one science. We think that such an one must 

 have often wondered at the unnatural separation maintained 

 between the parallelogram of forces and that of velocities, and 

 sometimes also speculated as to what becomes of the motion when 

 two non-elastic bodies impinge against each other in opposite 

 directions. 



