been smothered by an addition of nitrogen gas, nor deluged by an
excess of hydrogen, nor yet perceptibly affected by a surplus of oxygen.
The essence of cometary matter must be--and the "Adepts" say is--totally
different from any of the chemical or physical characteristics with
which the greatest chemists and physicists of the earth are familiar--
all recent hypotheses to the contrary notwithstanding. It is to be
feared that before the real nature of the elder progeny of Mula Prakriti
is detected, Mr. Crookes will have to discover matter of the fifth or
extra radiant state; et seq.

Thus, while the astronomer has achieved marvels in the elucidation of
the visible relations of the orbs of space, he has learnt nothing of
their inner constitution. His science has led him no farther towards a
reading of that inner mystery than has that of the geologist, who can
tell us only of the earth's superficial layers, and that of the
physiologist, who has until now been able to deal only with man's outer
shell, or Sthula Sarira. Occultists have asserted, and go on asserting
daily, the fallacy of judging the essence by its outward manifestations,
the ultimate nature of the life-principle by the circulation of the
blood, mind by the gray matter of the brain, and the physical
constitution of sun, stars and comets by our terrestrial chemistry and
the matter of our own planet. Verily and indeed, no microscopes,
spectroscopes, telescopes, photometers, or other physical apparatuses
can ever be focused on either the macro-or micro-cosmical highest
principles, nor will the mayavirupa of either yield its mystery to
physical inquiry. The methods of spiritual research and psychological
observation are the only efficient agencies to employ. We have to
proceed by analogy in everything to be sure. Yet the candid men of
science must very soon find out that it is not sufficient to examine a
few stars--a handful of sand, as it were, from the margin of the
shoreless, cosmic ocean--to conclude that these stars are the same as
all other stars--our earth included; that, because they have attained a
certain very great telescopic power, and gauged an area enclosed in the
smallest of spaces when compared with what remains, they have,
therefore, concurrently perfected the survey of all that exists within
even that limited space. For, in truth, they have done nothing of the
kind. They have had only a superficial glance at that which is made
visible