this doctrine than in that part of it agreed upon by others, which imagines that we learn to know an object in its true place by the sense of touch! We cannot agree with his triumphant conclusion, that rays crossing each other, as he describes, must necessarily produce an erect image. Rays crossing each other in that manner always produce an inverted image; and if they did so present themselves to the optic nerve, the impression would always be inverted.

If we look steadily, and for a few minutes, on an inverted image that has been strongly illuminated, such as a pin resting on the ground-glass shade of a bright lamp, we shall see the pin inverted as it really appeared on the glass, the moment we shut our eyes. Whilst we are looking at the spectrum, if we push the ball of the eye we shall find that the inverted pin is stationary, proving that it is now placed beyond the jurisdiction of the eyeball. Now if the ox while living saw only the inverted image that we see on the hinder part of the dead eye, then it must always appear so to him, for no crossing of rays within his eye could rectify it, as the image is immovable on the cerebral organs of vision the very moment it reaches the foramen centrale. These are some of the phenomena of light and of lenses; we now proceed to another part of the subject.

We perceive that light is extinguished by some unknown principle in black colouring matter, and that it is decomposed and resolved into its latent state by the power which this black principle has over the particles which cause the luminousness of light. This black colouring matter is independent of the materials on or in which it exists, for whether it be the dense vapours of clouds, the flexible fabric of silk, or the solid unyielding substance of iron, the destruction or decomposition of light on their surfaces is the same. It is blackness or darkness which acts on light, and not the material in which this black colour exists, or to which it adheres.

Light, also, can be set free in a variety of ways, but principally by the contact of such bodies whose particles are so arranged as that light, as luminousness, cannot pass through their pores. Friction, concussion, and oftentimes simple pressures, disengage both light and heat; it would appear that they entered minutely into each other's composition, were it not likewise the case with other matter in a latent state. Moisture, odour, colour, &c., can be disengaged and rendered perceptible by friction, pressure, and concussion.

The sudden approximations and union of certain gaseous compounds produce light. Flint and steel, when struck together, set light free, and friction disengages it from many substances. Muscular contraction makes it visible in the lampyrus or fire-fly. There is a spontaneous emission of it, perhaps

muscular likewise, in glow worms. It is either emitted, spontaneously in decayed wood, or else the decomposition that is going on is favourable to the disengagement of light in the gaseous medium which this decomposition generates. Marine animalcules are guided in their movements by their own luminousness. Spontaneous combustion is of frequent occurrence among oleaginous and bituminous particles of vegetable fibre. A sudden blow across the eyes, disengages a greater quantity of light than the choroids can absorb-supposing it to be held in its latent state within the eye. A slight pressure is sufficient to elicit light in the eyeball, for however unacceptable the suggestion may be, yet it is in reality light which is set free by the pressure.

Light cannot be set free or decomposed by a white pigment, excepting, as before observed, when in conjunction with heat, and then it takes the character of flame. But the disappearance of flame in the fire, when the white silvery rays of the sun are shining on it, is not referable to this cause. The light of the flame cannot spread because the rays from the sun occupy that portion of space where the rays from the flame should be. Two bodies of equal character and nature cannot occupy the same space; the lesser must merge in the greater.

The particles of latent light are incorporated with all substances, consequently, it is in great abundance, much greater than that portion of it which is set free as luminousness. Like heat and all other latent matter, one particular substance does not hold it in greater quantities than another. It merely passes through certain bodies with greater ease. The particles of some bodies are so arranged as that all matter in its latent state has to travel circuitously through their interstices or pores. Other substances, differently constructed, enable all latent and perceptible matter to pass through their pores with ease, moving in straight lines.

Latent matter cannot remain in a quiescent state in any substance; for, let the density or quality of the material be what it may, it can never be set free on the supposition that it exists within certain bodies. Those substances that readily admit of the free and easy passage of latent matter through their pores, are generally the most capable of rendering it perceptible. Thus, flint and steel, two very compact, dense bodies, when suddenly struck together, compel the latent matter of light, which is traversing them, to unite with other latent matter, and thus become perceptible to us.

As was before observed, light in itself possesses no heat, not even warmth, until it fall on a substance capable of combining with it. If the sparks from the collision of flint and steel should fall VOL. XXII.-NO. 43.

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on incombustible materials, they would be absorbed or extinguished without showing any signs of heat. There is but one substance known, in which light is kept in a luminous state without the aid of external or internal combustion, and this substance is the diamond. This very fact should convince us of the materiality of light, for here it is luminousness per se, that attaches itself to the surface of the diamond. It is part of the mass of light which fell on the stone from a self-luminous body, and being a real material itself, it adheres to a substance known to admit and reflect light.

When the sparks from flint and steel fall on our hands there is a sensation of heat, because they come in contact and combine with the oleaginous particles emitted by the pores, thus producing a slight combustion. If they fall on substances such as are partially decomposed or destroyed by combustion, a still further process goes on, and if substances of a higher inflammable nature are presented to them, flame is the result.

The flint and steel, therefore, contain no light in themselves; they only, as ponderous bodies, by their sudden approximation, force the matter which is traversing through and around them into a closer union with the abraded particles which the concussion struck off from their own bodies. In the sudden forcing together of two extremely dense substances, the free passage of latent matter is obstructed; light is always set free in such concussions.

If light and heat in a latent state pervade all space, as they space, most assuredly do, and if they can be rendered visible and perceptible at pleasure, it need not be a necessary consequence that they should, either one or both, necessarily emanate from the sun. If the mere sudden compression of latent matter can disengage light, why may not an indefinite quantity be generated in this way? There certainly is one point in space where a greater accumulation of latent matter must be concentrated, for we know that both latent and perceptible matter are perpetually driven off from our surface into space. There must be a point beyond which this matter cannot be forced by our centrifugal repulsion. If there be an accumulation, there must be a power stronger than our centrifugal power which prevents the gaseous compounds and latent compounds from proceeding further. As there most assuredly is such a point of conflict in space between the matter driven off from our surface, and the matter driven off from the surface of the sun, the friction amongst the particles of those two revolving bodies-the sun and the earthmust be immense.

We consider the sun to be a solid body, similar to that of the earth, and like this planet possessing no individual luminousness, but, equally with the earth, receiving all its light and heat from

the excited particles of its own abraded, decomposed, and latent matter. We consider that the light and heat which sustain us, are generated at a point very distant from the solid body of the sun itself, and which point we conceive to be much nearer to us than the sun is now supposed to be.

According to this opinion the solid body of the sun must possess as many luminous points as there are planets revolving around it; the rotary motion of its own body, in conjunction with the like rotary motion of the planets, being sufficient to produce all the friction, and thus creating all the luminous suns or points attached to each planet. This luminous sun or point we imagine to proceed from the focus between each planet and the sun.

The sun is therefore a dense body like the earth, turning on its own axis, and never moving from its place in consequence of its superior size, and of the regular motion and position as well as the general balancing of all the planets-its satellites. It can have no individual heat, or light; all the heat and light which it may possess originating from the collision of certain latent and perceptible matter which has accumulated at a definite point between itself and the planets which revolve around it.

This is likewise the case with the planets of our system; all the light and heat which they may possess proceeding from the excited point beyond their own atmosphere. Ignition can only take place in those atmospheres which are supplied with matter that is capable of combustion. Those planets which throw off no inflammable particles can have nothing on their surface equivalent to our organization; for the light which is generated at their focal point can only fall as luminous rays, without heat.

An aeronaut cannot test the truth of these conjectures, for though he may be suspended above the clouds, beyond the point where the greatest quantity of heat is generated, yet he is still in our atmosphere, and the lighter parts of combustible matter are still ascending there. If he collected the rays of light on a lens, heat would be abundantly perceptible, for his hand alone, when presented to the focus, would present combustible materials on which light could operate, or with which it could unite.

In this view of the subject, therefore, the great ball of fire which is considered as the true sun, is only the luminousness arising from the sudden approximation and union of certain gaseous compounds, driven together by opposite forces to a point where these forces must come in perpetual contact. The dense body-the solid muscles-the primum mobile, which in its revolutions produces the friction and pressure, is so immediately parallel with the axes of the illuminated sun and our

earth, that it is hidden from us. We can only, at certain intervals, see a small portion of the opaque body, when the illuminated focus is less dense in particular parts. In these transparent openings, as they may be termed, we get a glimpse of these "spots in the sun."

The world has been so long accustomed to look upon the sun as possessing light and heat in itself, that opinions and suggestions such as these will be rejected. But neither scripture nor philosophy need revolt at these doctrines, for although the manner in which we conceive the sun to dispense light and heat be different from that generally comprehended, yet we acknowledge that it is owing to the impetus which a dense revolving body gives to gaseous compounds, that light and heat are made apparent. The sun is the exciting cause in the first place, and the earth in the second; these two powers in their rotary movements causing light to be set free.

ART. VII. Dictionary of the English Language. By Nолн WEBSTER, LL. D.

It has ever been a just cause of complaint against the English language, that its orthography is varied and unsettled. Hence any effort to reduce the anomalies which abound in it, to something like system, deserves the approbation of every lover of English literature, provided the end is attempted to be gained by suitable and proper means. Many thanks, therefore, are due to Dr. Webster, for the unwearied diligence with which he has pursued this object; and though we do not consider this as one of his happiest efforts, he has accomplished much for which he deserves praise. If we were to instance the point in which we think the doctor has been most successful, we should direct the reader to the etymology of his Dictionary; and though we cannot say we think it all sound, we believe he has done that which will perpetuate his name, while philology shall be studied as a science. And we attribute his greater success in this department to the apparent fact, that this has been pursued less with reference to a preconceived theory, than his system of orthography. We shall therefore notice some points where we think his orthography is at variance with the true principles of