122 
[March, 
The Evolution of the Spheres. 
energy of impact of moving matter utterly fails to explain 
such a change in condition. For in homogeneous matter 
every moving particle must strike upon and be repelled by 
an equal number of moving particles in every direCIion. Its 
variations in direction must therefore balance each other, 
and it cannot permanently change its position in space. If 
every particle thus continue to be confined to a fixed locality 
there can be no change in the state of diffusion, and the 
homogeneous state cannot become a heterogeneous one. 
Nor could an attractive attribute of matter produce a 
change in condition in homogeneous matter, since attraction 
would aCt equally from all sides, and thus its influence be- 
come neutralised. As to attraction and repulsion existing 
together in such homogeneous matter, the proposition is 
unthinkable. Only in the above-named hypothesis does 
there seem to be a ready means of escape from such a con- 
dition. If attraction and repulsion be attributes of motion, 
the one changing to the other as motion reverses its direc- 
tion, then, in completely homogeneous matter composed of 
moving particles, these forces should be neutralised, since 
the divergent and the convergent motions must balance each 
other, and no excess of gravitative force could exist. But 
another result would necessarily appear. The attracting 
motions would tend to approach, the repelling motions to 
separate But attraction strengthens with approach ; repul- 
sion weakens with separation. Therefore a necessary result 
of the aCtion of these two modes of force must be to imme- 
diately give the attractive a more vigorous influence than 
the repulsive energies. 
And from this there springs another result, of equal im- 
portance, namely, a sorting out of the attractive and repulsive 
motions. The former would tend to aggregate, and to drive 
the latter from their midst. And these latter would be in 
accord with other motions, towards which they would be 
attracted. Hence it seems as if there must have arisen 
minor aggregations of matter, in each such aggregation the 
similar motions being in excess of the reverse motions. 
And such aggregations would tend to separate from each 
other, or to combine into larger aggregations, according as 
their general directions of motion were similar or dissimilar, 
and their influence upon each other attractive or repulsive. 
Such being a conceivable original mode of integration, it 
may be possible to show that it is the only mode, and that 
all the aggregations of matter, up to the present time, have 
arisen in the manner here indicated, though the essential 
simplicity of the process is concealed from us by its 
