Matter Dead. 
1879.] 
153 
Here is the inherent power of the atom ; it was not dead — 
it slept. 
Roger Bacon — If so, what has become of the eternal 
motion of your atoms ? what has become of the motion of 
your gases ? what has become of the independent life of 
your matter ? What power is in these masses to grow 
trees and thinking men ? I thought you admired the 
theories of Lucretius, who tells us of the “ primordia 
rerum,” the very beginning of things moving gradually into 
complexity and evolving worlds and life. He was the earliest 
of the evolutionists whose system is well known to us, and 
he has many followers who somewhat modify his views. I 
thought you admired the self-initiating vortices by which are 
made all worlds, and the beautiful nebular theory of 
Laplace and of moderns now making worlds busily by this 
atomic eternal activity. 
John Dalton — Not exactly. Moderns require heat, and 
heat itself is produced by atomic adtion, so that the adlion 
is enough after all. 
Roger Bacon — Heat is motion. I thought it was agreed 
that the atoms would not move by themselves. 
But as you require something more I will give it you. 
Indeed I will give you as much heat as you please near this 
corner, where you proposed to set the bulk on fire. Let 
there be a piece of any of our elements glowing white 
placed near. If heat is motion there must be something to 
move. By what means will this heat communicate motion 
to the elements ? 
John Dalton — Heat passes in a few minutes from us to 
the sun, and your small bundle of elements would soon 
absorb all you could send. 
Roger Bacon — True it may be that heat passes to us rapidly, 
through space, but if it is only motion it must pass on some- 
thing movable. Can you imagine it passing through empty 
space ? Men used to think so when heat was to them a 
solid, but now there must be a something that is put into 
agitation. If your elements were quite alone they could 
not be fired; they must have that which we call ether, 
simply because it is so thin compared with our usual 
matter. 
I will go farther. Even if your elements in combining 
produced heat, that heat would not be given out ; to what 
place would it go ? It could not go into empty space. What 
motion can there be in emptiness ; can there be motion in 
nothingness? Your great fire would burn out, and the force 
would not be preserved. The waves would be lost for want 
