" He speaks of "Us, who
endeavor to resolve the Phenomena of Nature into Matter and Local
motion." That sounds like the nineteenth century, but what shall we say
to this? "As when a bar of iron or silver, having been well hammered, is
newly taken off of the anvil; though the eye can discern no motion in it,
yet the touch will readily perceive it to be very hot, and if you spit
upon it, the brisk agitation of the insensible parts will become visible
in that which they will produce in the liquor." He takes a bar of tin,
and tries whether by bending it to and fro two or three times he cannot
"procure a considerable internal commotion among the parts "; and having
by this means broken or cracked it in the middle, finds, as he expected,
that the middle parts had considerably heated each other. There are many
other curious and interesting observations in the volume which I should
like to tell you of, but these will serve my purpose.
--Which book furnished you the old cover you wanted?--said I.
--Did he kill the owl?--said the Master, laughing. [I suppose you, the
reader, know the owl story.]--It was Number Two that lent me one of his
covers. Poor wretch! He was one of three, and had lost his two
brothers. From him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath.
The Scripture had to be fulfilled in his case.
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