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as well as ultra-experiential. That “ molecular force should 
become structural,” resembles much the supposition that two and 
two should, on some occasion, “play” at making five, which 
would, I presume, be simply ultra vires, or impossible ! 
I must entirely protest against our author’s commendation 
of the Greek philosophy, “ in that it had shaken itself free from 
that fruitless scrutiny by the internal light of the mind alone, 
which had vainly sought to transcend experience, and reach a 
knowledge of ultimate causes ! }> * This neither have the Greeks 
nor has Tyndall himself succeeded in doing. 
Indeed Lucretius gives exactly the opposite account of the 
foundation of the system which he advocated in such admirable 
verse. He tells us, in his praise of his great master : — 
“ Ergo vivida vis animi pervicit, et extra 
Processit longe flammantia moenia mnndi.” f 
His own poem is as full of passages of metaphysical and fruit 
less scrutiny, and as far from deserving the above commendation 
as even the Belfast Address. 
The Greeks knew nothing of exact Science; and the connection 
of their doctrines with those of modern chemistry is not to be 
historically traced. We are more indebted to the experimental 
researches of the Chaldeans, the Egyptians, and their Arabian 
disciples, than to all the speculations of the Greeks. We owe 
probably much more even to the Alchemists — the last of whom, 
as he was termed, named Wenzel, was the first to establish, bv 
well-conducted experiments, the doctrine of equivalency. He 
foresaw and predicted the conclusions that could be drawn 
from it respecting the theoretical calculation of the composition 
of salts, and the control of analyses. 
Professor Wurtz, in his admirable “ History of Chemistry,'” J 
has said, not without some reason, that 
“ Chemistry is a French science : it was founded by Lavoisier, of immortal 
memory. He was at once the author of a new theory, and the creator of the 
true method in chemistry, and the superiority of the method gave wings to 
the theory.” 
Instead of overturning gravitation, when it suited him, like 
Lucretius, he made it, in fact, the foundation of his science. 
But it must not be forgotten that 
“ Robert Boyle, the first President of the Royal Society of London, and 
likewise the first in date of the true chemists, had confirmed the fact pre- 
viously noticed by Rey, that metals increase in weight when calcined in 
the air.” § 
* Address, &c., p. 11. + Lib. i. lines 73, 74. 
J An Introduction, &c., p. 5. § Idem, p. 8. 
