University of Virginia Library

“Give me matter,” says Kant, “and I will build the world;” and deducing from simple data a doctrine similar to the well-known “Nebular Hypothesis” of Laplace, he accounts for the relations of the masses and the densities of the planets to their distances from the sun, for the eccentricities of their orbits, for their rotations, for their satellites, for the general agreement in the direction of rotation among the celestial bodies, for Saturn's ring and for the zodiacal light. The nebular hypothesis shows that prior to the earth being in a fluid state it existed, dissolved in a vast nebula, the parent of the solar system; that this nebula gradually contracted and condensed, throwing off the planets one by one; that the central portion of the nebula, condensed perhaps to the fluid state, exists at present as the sun. See Huxley's “Lay Sermons,” p. 241, and Lockyer's “Lessons in Astronomy,” p. 88.

“That far planet.”—Neptune. Mr Adams of the University of Cambridge, a native of Cornwall, and M. Leverrier of Paris, independently and almost simultaneously discovered the theoretical place of this planet, which was found very near the position thus assigned it by Dr Galle, September 23, 1846.

The existence of an unknown planet was inferred by Kant from scientific data. In 1771 Uranus was discovered by Sir William Herschell, justifying the inference of the philosopher.

The “kingly orb” of the poem is Jupiter; the “world of wild romance,” Saturn; the “daughter of the sun,” Venus; the “eldest born of light,” Mercury; the “mysterious radiance” from the sun, the zodiacal light, an appendage of the sun which extends beyond the earth. The stanzas describing the biological evolution have been recently inserted, as the poem when composed, in 1849, dealt only with the idea of planetary evolution. I have endeavoured to give a poetical expression to recent speculations, in particular, to Mr Herbert Spencer's doctrine of transmitted experiences, in the new verses. As regards what is said of the eye, Mr Spencer writes:—

“As soon as there exists a rudimentary eye capable of receiving an impression from a moving object about to strike the organism, and so rendering it possible for the organism to make some adapted movement, there is shown the dawn of actions which we distinguish as intelligent. As soon as the organism, fully sensitive to a jar or vibration propagated through its medium, contracts itself so as to be in less danger from the adjacent source of disturbance, we perceive a nascent form of the life classed as psychical. That is to say, whenever the correspondence exhibits some extension in space or time, some increase of speciality or complexity, we find we have crossed the boundary between physical life and psychical life.” —Principles of Psychology, p. 392.

Humanity, In this poem, as in the ode at the end of the volume, is an admiring and reverential estimate of the character of the Founder of Christianity, which harmonises with that of Strauss, Shelley, and other repudiators of Christian dogmatics. Mr J. S. Mill's appreciation is too unqualified, but he has, in my judgment, touched truly on some of the beautiful human attributes of the great Prophet of Nazareth. Jesus is to me, as to Mr Mill, “probably the greatest moral reformer and martyr to that mission who ever existed upon earth.” In the section on “Religion,” by the “one mind, the sovereign will,” I mean the collective spirit of the human race, conceived as one continuous whole, including the Past, the Present, and the Future. “On all sides,” says Mr Lewes, “it appears that Nature embodies the transfigured desires of man, and the idealising spirit of man. It is the work, the emotion, and the thought of Humanity.”

“In rights are all men equal” (p. 80).—The Justinian Code declares the natural equality of men. Social equality is an ideal to be realised by peaceful approximations, by reforms in manners, opinions, and sentiments; by education, community of work, and constant personal intercourse. Absolute equality is a chimera. The equality which I consider possible is based on the general recognition of human worth. Such an equality is not incompatible with veneration for superior gifts, with the subordination essential to the prosecution of common enterprise, with an appreciation of the sanctities of antiquity, or even the claims of gentle birth, if the merit of the living descendant serve to recall the debt of gratitude which we owe to the nobler ancestor.

In this poem, as in the ode at the end of the volume, is an admiring and reverential estimate of the character of the Founder of Christianity, which harmonises with that of Strauss, Shelley, and other repudiators of Christian dogmatics. Mr J. S. Mill's appreciation is too unqualified, but he has, in my judgment, touched truly on some of the beautiful human attributes of the great Prophet of Nazareth. Jesus is to me, as to Mr Mill, “probably the greatest moral reformer and martyr to that mission who ever existed upon earth.” In the section on “Religion,” by the “one mind, the sovereign will,” I mean the collective spirit of the human race, conceived as one continuous whole, including the Past, the Present, and the Future. “On all sides,” says Mr Lewes, “it appears that Nature embodies the transfigured desires of man, and the idealising spirit of man. It is the work, the emotion, and the thought of Humanity.”

“In rights are all men equal” (p. 80).—The Justinian Code declares the natural equality of men. Social equality is an ideal to be realised by peaceful approximations, by reforms in manners, opinions, and sentiments; by education, community of work, and constant personal intercourse. Absolute equality is a chimera. The equality which I consider possible is based on the general recognition of human worth. Such an equality is not incompatible with veneration for superior gifts, with the subordination essential to the prosecution of common enterprise, with an appreciation of the sanctities of antiquity, or even the claims of gentle birth, if the merit of the living descendant serve to recall the debt of gratitude which we owe to the nobler ancestor.