ON CHEMISTRY. 
419 
ately refer to the enquiry I am now engaged in. I mention it, how¬ 
ever, as being highly interesting in itself, and as tending to rectify a 
glaring error on the part of those who affect to disseminate reports of 
scientific discoveries. However, I request the reader not to lose 
sight of this simple account which displays the accuracy attained in 
the prosecution of delicate experiments. I also shall have occasion 
to notice that modification of light which we term electrcity. 
From the first moment that I began seriously to reflect upon the 
philosophy of nature, my mind became imbued with the conviction 
that one, universal, vivifying principle, is, and has been in active 
operation from the commencement of time. The unity of creation, 
the universality of Light, at once require, and prove, this to be the 
fact. Perhaps, I was first induced to take this comprehensive view 
of the eternal laws of nature, by the grand and beautiful observation, 
of the late Professor Playfair, in one of his concluding lectures. “If 
we consider how many different laws seem to regulate the action of 
impulse, cohesion, elasticity^, chemical affinity, clirystallization, heat, 
light, magnetism, electricity, galvanism ; the existence of a 'princi¬ 
ple more general than these , and connecting allot them with that of 
gravitation appears highly probable.” 
Without at all referring to the theory of Professor Leslie that the 
globe is cavernous , replete with light, shining with intense splen¬ 
dour ; I fear not to hazard the assertion that Light is the only ethe¬ 
real substance, or matter, throughout creation that pervades every 
body in nature. If we admit this fact, we need not perplex our 
imaginations to discover the one great source of this essence. The 
Sun stands revealed to all, and the life of all creation is dependant on 
his beams. If this be so, who can doubt that the one great, govern¬ 
ing, connecting principle, is at once manifest and apparent.” 
“ Let there be Light ”—was a word of power, view it in all its bear¬ 
ings, and in what way we please, for the life of all created things was 
included in the fiat; since, there is not one act of progress or increase, 
of respiration, decomposition, of electrical or chemical action, that is 
not, and ever has been, dependant on it for its commencement, con¬ 
tinuation and completion. These are bold assertions, but let the 
doubter turn his eyes to the glorious orb, and consider that its beams 
have been poured upon the planetary system for a time without 
known bounds : let him, with the eye of a philosopher, view the 
mighty arts of incipience and developement that are manifestly, and 
beyond the reach of question—the result of his power, and he will 
find himself reduced to the dilemma, of admitting that the light is 
either absorbed by the surfaces upon which it infringes, or that it 
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