to the gravitation of the Aether, and all
bodies in solar and stellar space. The only mistake that Newton made,
was in inverting the right order of comparatively dense and rarer parts
of the aetherial medium, by putting the rarer parts of the medium near
to the bodies, and supposing the denser parts to be farther away in
space.

As a matter of fact, the correct view is exactly the opposite, that is,
if we are to form our conception by following out those philosophical
rules that Newton laid down. For either the rules are right, or his
supposition is right. They cannot both be right, as his supposition is
contrary to the second Rule of Philosophy, as all experience and
observation from the analogy of Nature teach us that a medium enveloping
any body, as planet, star or sun, is densest nearest to the body,
becoming rarer the further that medium gets away from the central body.
Let us take for our illustration the best example, that experience and
observation afford, that of the atmosphere surrounding the earth. The
analogy is so perfect, that one is almost tempted to believe that the
atmosphere and the Aether are in some way intimately associated with
each other. Some years ago Lord Kelvin was of the opinion that the
Aether was but an extension of the atmosphere, though I am not certain
whether he holds that view at the present time. Clerk Maxwell, writing
in the _Phil. Mag._ in May 1861, writes: "I have deduced from this
result the relation between statical or dynamical electricity, and have
shown that the elasticity of the magnetic medium in air is the same as
that of the luminiferous medium, _if these two coexistent, coextensive,
and equally elastic media are not rather one medium_."

Now for the comparison. Both the atmosphere and Aether are matter. Both
are atomic, both are gravitative, both possess elasticity, and both
possess density. The atmosphere also possesses different degrees of
density, so does the Aether. In the case of the atmosphere, however,
experience and experiment teach us that the atmosphere is denser nearer
the earth than farther away.

When we ascend mountains, it is a matter of common knowledge that the
higher we ascend, that is the further we get from the earth, the rarer
the atmosphere becomes. When we ascend in balloons, we find that the air
becomes so rare and so light, that the blood will flow from the nose, on
account of the reduced pressure exerted on it, the pressure inside the
body bei