nitor the great
thinker who established that law. It was first suggested by one who
ranks high among philosophers. The man who collected evidence indicating
that stars result from the aggregation of diffused matter, was the most
diligent, careful, and original astronomical observer of modern times.
And the world has not seen a more learned mathematician than the man
who, setting out with this conception of diffused matter concentrating
towards its centre of gravity, pointed out the way in which there would
arise, in the course of its concentration, a balanced group of sun,
planets, and satellites, like that of which the Earth is a member.

Thus, even were there but little direct evidence assignable for the
Nebular Hypothesis, the probability of its truth would be strong. Its
own high derivation and the low derivation of the antagonist hypothesis,
would together form a weighty reason for accepting it--at any rate,
provisionally. But the direct evidence assignable for the Nebular
Hypothesis is by no means little. It is far greater in quantity, and
more varied in kind, than is commonly supposed. Much has been said here
and there on this or that class of evidences; but nowhere, so far as we
know, have all the evidences been fully stated. We propose here to do
something towards supplying the deficiency: believing that, joined with
the _a priori_ reasons given above, the array of _a posteriori_ reasons
will leave little doubt in the mind of any candid inquirer.

And first, let us address ourselves to those recent discoveries in
stellar astronomy which have been supposed to conflict with this
celebrated speculation.

* * * * *

When Sir William Herschel, directing his great reflector to various
nebulous spots, found them resolvable into clusters of stars, he
inferred, and for a time maintained, that all nebulous spots are
clusters of stars exceedingly remote from us. But after years of
conscientious investigation, he concluded that "there were nebulosities
which are not of a starry nature;" and on this conclusion was based his
hypothesis of a diffused luminous fluid which, by its eventual
aggregation, produced stars. A telescopic power much exceeding that used
by Herschel, has enabled Lord Rosse to resolve some of the nebulae
previously unresolved; and, returning to the conclusion which Herschel
first formed on similar grounds but afterwards rejected, many
astronomers have assumed that, under