the same man one-fourth as much at twice the distance, one-sixteenth
as much at four times the distance. That is, he will weigh by a
spring balance thirty-seven and a half pounds at eight thousand
miles from the centre, and nine pounds six ounces at sixteen
thousand miles from the centre, and he will weigh or be pulled by
the earth 1/24 of a pound at the distance of the moon. But the moon
would be large enough and near enough to pull twenty-four pounds on
the same man, so the earth could not draw him away. Thus the two
laws of attraction of gravitation are--1, _Gravity is proportioned
to the quantity of matter_; and 2, _The force of gravity varies
inversely as the square of the distance from the centre of the
attracting body_.

The original form of matter is gas. Almost as I write comes the
announcement that Mr. Lockyer has proved that all the so-called
primary elements of matter are only so many different sized molecules
of one original substance--hydrogen. Whether that is true or not,
let us now create all the hydrogen we can [Page 7] imagine, either
in differently sized masses or in combination with other substances.
There it is! We cannot measure its bulk; we cannot fly around it in
any recordable eons of time. It has boundaries, to be sure, for we
are finite, but we cannot measure them. Let it alone, now; leave it
to itself. What follows? It is dowered simply with attraction. The
vast mass begins to shrink, the outer portions are drawn inward.
They rush and swirl in vast cyclones, thousands of miles in extent.
The centre grows compact, heat is evolved by impact, as will be
explained in Chapter II. Dull red light begins to look like coming
dawn. Centuries go by; contraction goes on; light blazes in
insufferable brightness; tornadoes, whirlpools, and tempests
scarcely signify anything as applied to such tumultuous tossing.