New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1841-12-29
Reported FOR the New-YOfk Tribune.
Er. Lardner's Fifth Lecture.
Second Seiie :.


voying about an axis to torn upon what are called
III NJ ares of preference. These experiment.
have already been described in our report OF tor
n1er lecture and it Is here necessary 10 repent
them. There were one or Two other pnhciP'e'
illustrated in these last experiments not h'n'e0
in the former, which it may be well to noti's
One OF these was shown by suspendins He>'''s
r.hg-represented by looped chaiH' 49, =,
into rapid rotation around its longest AXIS
chain frs, spread itself out into riiis U"u 'A'"
sssn,osd nosi,joD which allowed 1t to turn about
Nm IMAGINARY axi, perpendicular to It's hrst. Ano'
,b., fac, e.bibi'ei was that in causing cylinder
>, amin abou. rs longest axis, when II came TO as
sumo position which enabled 1t to turn upon the
short axis rpendicular tn other, ii presented
The appearance Of 4 small sphrre surrounded by
an apparent atmosphere: this Is easily explained,
since in resolving, tie central portion OF the cyn-
der is Immediately aud continually under the eye
while the other parts are continually shifting theii
position. These experiments and others similar
10 them, very simple and easily made and the
Doctor said that h. could not TOO strongly recoEa-
mend, at this hoiiiay season, when it Is usual TO
give presents to children, tina, IN selecting gifts
those which shall be- instructive d, we'll US anus.
Ing bc chosen; as, for Instance kuIeidoscopes and
many simple Instruments easily made AID OF an
interesting character There hundreds OF liz
genious men among u.s. he said, who could rcad!
construct them After these remarks and experi-
ments, DR.. LAfpSER proceeded with his lecture
as follows:
Ladies md Gentlemen: purpose to ca!l your
attention on this occasion to subject which will
prove extremtl, interesting if l can only make
the spirit of 1t Ineligible: although | know that
it i. extremely difficult to do this to any consde-
rable extent, ! do wholly despair. The Crea-
tor of the Universe, ladies and gentlemen, has
written two books in which enabled by
the faculties he has given U.s. to read his attributes
and his laws And these, like all the productions
of the ,rne author, have u most marvellous simi-
Iari,y in style. The two volumes of which | speak
arr the book Of Nature and the book Of Revelation
and it is impossible for any rejecting, contempla
tive and observing mind to peruse these two book
with Alteration and care, without being convinced
whatever may be the conclusion on other points to
which he arrives, that these the productions OF
the same hand. These two books require to be
approached in order to be profitable, IN the same
spirit: for if that be right spirit both val
alike lead to error of precisely the same kind
The Book of Nature, as well as the Book al Reve
lation requires to be approached in sprit OF hu.
,niIi:y; in order its rght nerPrc tation ever!
one must shake of all his preconceived notions
and dvest himself OF all pIejud'ce he must give
up entirely the spirit of caveng and be prepared
10 find both in the one book and the other, rnosi
marvellous and nexpcabe lhngs 1t is precisely |
because persons have not approached either OF |
these books liz ri ght spirit, that they have fallen
into series OF error--a series OF evil cohse-
auences--as like each other in the two cases as II
IS possible for any two gets OF moral phenomena
10 resemble each other. When the AnccntS con-
suited the Book of Nature they read II with AFRO
CANT and assuming notions they read ii with all
inerdnate mental pride, aud with the inflated idea
that their prodlgious intellectual powers enabled
them TO Judge n II OILY what Nature, as revealed
in her phenomena, was, but what SHE ought to be
They we're accustomed to their ideas into
system 10 which they allowed no exception and
instead of nquiring as is done in modern physics
with diligence aud humility, what are the pho
nomena exhibited BY nature, they laid down GER
tain dogmas or maXims, and endeavored 10 twist
and distort the phenomena OF nature, looked al
through thei. false media, to bring them into har
mony with their theones--then believed 10 be in
ialolc but now known to have been most absurd
Ia fact il can be proved that system OF the Uni
verse, constructed one of their Sages imagined
1t must be done, would not endure single yoar.
The very circumstances which they pronounced
impossible are now known to be the causes of the
permanencv stability and regularity of the
paysca world Now what do find in all this
except the image of what has taken place with
respect To the other book :? Do we not lind that |
"a the Book of Nature, interpreted in an arrogant |
and naughty spirit, leads TO the most absurd and |
fatal errors so the Book of Revelation, when APP |
preached in the temper leads to the same
conclusion But of the evil consequences result
ing from wrong intcrprc taton OF the Book OF
Revelation, it is part OF my province TO speak
YOU have able teachers ameng you who will give
YOU all needed instruction upon this matter. Ii
is nv part 10 show that the very evils which these
sage instructors endeavor weekly to present, as
resulting from the wrong Interpretation OF the
Book of Revelation, How in the same way from i
wrong interpretation OF the Book OF Nature.
The Ancien,s, in their inquiries, took up the
Phenomena of Nature in this way They had GER
tain abstract and peculiar notions of physical anH
seometrical perfection: these they Land down as
general axicms, and maintained thar whatever was
no, in conformity with them must not-could not
be physically or geomcricalIy perfect. As applied
10 the motions of the bodies OF the universe, one OF
their axioms was this: that all perfect motion
mast be ctrcmlar and uniform. They concluded,
therefore, that the planets moved In circular orbits
md with uniform motion. Having laid down
this as nm absolute and universal truth, ven
fnred 10 disnll,e IL AMI ii YVES ipstillei into The