66 For mentioned. In whole numbers no denominations are called. example, in the Present System: 111,111,111 is read one hundred and eleven million, one hundred and eleven thousand, one hundred and eleven." In writing a column of numbers, in the Present System, if the italicized words were not mentioned, you would not know where to commence. All of those words, however, are left out in the Reverse System, and the remainder of the words are greatly abbreviated, especially in this instance, the number being read "onesnine." GENERAL REMARKS: Everything which to us has been comprehensive, started from the small to the large, from the simple to the complex, and in graduated stages. Why not write a number in the same way, namely, the lowest denomination first, and not start abruptly with an incomprehensive high denomination, and gradually decrease. Relative to the adoption of the Reverse System, a few trials will enable anyone to work as readily by it as by the Present System, as it can readily be demonstrated that if anything is usually put down one way, it can very easily be put down in the oppose way, in some instances this happening involuntarily, as in the transposing of a number. The typewriter is an important factor in our commercial affairs, and when a column of numbers is written by a person, it is very inconvenien to foot it, as there are no typewriters in general use at the present time that will write backwards as well as forwards; but with the Reverse System you can start each number at the beginning of a line, making no allowance for the footing, and easily add the column by the machine. This system may be applied to the figures of any country whose writing is done in the same direction as ours. It is the belief of the writer of this that our Prssent System of arithmetic was originally intended to be written from right to left in the direction of Arabic and Indian writing, the lowest denomination in this case preceding, and in the same direction as it is footed. We have taken a step in the right direction in writing the figures in the direction of our writing, but we have not gone far enough. We ought now to turn everything around, as above described, thus making the arithmetic strictly in accordance with our modern methods. 66 Once, to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide, In the strife of Truth and Falsehood, for the good or evil side; Some great cause, God's new Messiah, offering each the bloom or blight, Parts the goats upon the left hand, and the sheep upon the right." -JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. "Thou Great First Cause, Eternal Space, all things depend on Thee, Such as have sight may see Thy face-to Thee we bow the knee." Selections from Plymouth Collection. The vilest sinner may return. ISAAC WATTS (308). Restraining prayer, we cease to fight ; Prayer makes the Christian's armor bright; And Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees.-WM. COWPER (686). The world can never give The bliss for which we sigh; 'Tis not the whole of life to live, Nor all of death to die.-JAMES MONTGOMERY (344). In work of labor or of skill, I would be busy too; For Satan finds some mischief still, For idle hauds to do. ISAAC WATTS (1370). JAMES THE LESS. We are told in Mark xv, 40, that one Mary was mother of "James the Less." Was he small in stature, like Zaccheus (Luke xix, 3), or less mentally? OBSERVER. McClintock and Strong's Cyclopædia (Vol. IV, p. 753) says it was "either being younger than James the son of Zebedee, or on account of his low stature." To distinguish James the son of Zebedee from James the Less, the former has been called James the Greater. This latter name however is in the comparative degree; James the Less, James the Greater. So too with the Greeks, at the Trojan war, they had Ajax the Less, leader of the Locrian troops. He was son of Oïleus, king of Locris, on this account called Oïlean Ajax, and sometimes Locrian; and he was also called Narycian from his hirthplace, Naryeia. The other one was called Ajax the Greater. He was son of Telamon, and was similarly called Telamonian Ajax, and only second to Achilles in his bravery and courage. Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then He is impotent. Is He able but not willing? Then He is malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Whence then is evil? Epicurus. "It would have taken a Jesus to forge a Jesus."-Theodore Parker. The Solar Nebula and the Solar System. T 66 FROM THE PERICOSMIC THEORY," BY GEORGE STEARNS. The following theorems, with examples, form the basis of the Pericosmic Theory, which is the mathematical phase of the Nebular Hypothesis of La Place. These propositions seem to obtain throughout the solar system, and then are extended to the Solar Nebula. I. As the cube of the raidus of a senior planet's orbit is to the cube of the radius of a junior planet's orbit, so is the square of the given senior planet's periodic time to the square of the given junior planet's periodic time. I. As the cube of the radius of a senior planet's nebular ante cedent is to the cube of the radius of a junior planet's nebular antecedent, so is the square of the Solar Nebular's period of rotation at the time of the given senior planet's anunlar seggregation therefrom to the square of the Solar Nebular's period of rotation at the time of the given junior planet's annular seggregation therefrom. 2. As the orbit of a junior planet is to the orbit of a senior planet, and as the orbital motion of the given senior planet is to the orbital motion of the given junior planet, so is the periodic time of the given junior planet to the periodic time of the given senior planet. (9143S: EARTH AND JUPITER. :: 365.2568: 4333.58. 475617 1572820 Verbally: As the radius of the Earth's orbit is to the radius of Jupiter's orbit, and as Jupiter's orbital motion is to the Earth's orbital motion, so is the Earth's periodic time to Jupiter's periodic time. 2. As the radius of the Solar Nebula's equator at the birth of a junior planet was to the radius thereof at the birth of a senior planet, and as the rotary motion of the Solar Nebula at the birth of a senior planet was to its rotary motion at the birth of the junior planet, so was the Solar Nebula's period of rotation at the birth of the junior planet to its period of rotation at the birth of the senior pranet. 3. The ratio of a senior planet's orbit to a junior planet's orbit is equal to the square of the ratio of the junior planet's orbital motion to the senior planet's orbital motion. Conversely: The square root of the ratio of a senior planet's orbit to a junior planet's orbit is equal to the ratio of the junior planet's orbital motion to the senior planet's orbital motion. 3. The ratio of the radius of the Solar Nebula's equator at the birth of a senior planet is to the radius thereof at the birth of a junior planet is equare of the ratio of the Solor Nebula's rotary motion at the birth of the junior planet to its rotary motion at the birth of the senior planet. 4. As the ratio of Neptune's orbit to Venus's orbit is to the ratio of Neptune's orbit to Mercury's orbit, so the ratio of Neptune's orbit to Mercury's orbit is to the ratio of the Solar Nebula's prime equator to Mercury's orbit. 41.52 77.59 :: 77.59 : 144.995378. 144.995378 X 35393068 = 5,131,831,273. 4. The product of the square of the of the ratio of the Solar Nebular's primal rotary motion to the increment thereof between the epoch of its conglobation and the birth of Neptune multiplied by the decrement of its radius by condensation of its volume during the same era, is equal to the depth of exterior space made vacuous by aggregation of its matter before conglobation; and this, plus the prime radius of Solar Nebula, is equal to the radius of the sphere of space within which tna matter composing the Solar Nebula, now transformed to the Solar System, was and is insulated. THE DIGAMMA. (Vol. XIV, p. 120.) The use of the digamma in the Homeric poems, Prof. Hartel says, prevents elision in 3354 cases and fails to do so in 617 places. Of the 3354 cases, in which it is operative, it prevents the elision of a short vowel in 2324; in 557 it follows a long vowel or diphthong in arsis; in 164 it prevents a shortening in thesis; and in 359 it lengthens a short syllable ending in a consoOf the 617 inoperative cases, it fails to prevent elision in 324; it permits a preceding long vowel or dipthong to be shortened in 78; and it fails to lengthen a short syllable ending in a consonant in 215 nant. Criticism on Mohamed's Place in the Church." JULSTER PARK, ULSTER CO., Mr. Editor: I have read with much interest the article entitled "Mahomed's Place in the Church," by Ernest de Bunsen, in the February number of NOTES AND QUERIES; but I hope the author will pardon me if I offer a friendly criticism. In common with the majority of those who write of Mohammed and Islam, Prof. de Bunsen treats the subject wholly from an intellectual, rather than a spiritual, standpoint. There are some errors as to matters of fact, but these are comparatively unimportant, for they are errors that everyone, not thoroughly familiar with the life and character of Mohammed, is liable to fall into. He is accurate when he states that the Christianity of Mohammed was anti-Paulinic for the Prophet's efforts were at first devoted directly. to the breaking down of the anti-Christian dogmas which were the natural outgrowth of Paul's eriors and misconceptions. But the idea that Mohammed acquired his knowledge of the teachings of Jesus. and Paul by intellectual methods is not tenable in view of the fact that he could neither read nor write, and that his development, from the time he began his meditations in the cave of Mount Hara, were purely spiritual. If, taking the words of Mohammed and the Koran, we reason along the lines of spiritual or psychical development, we cannot fail to place him in his proper position and understand at once how he acceptd and advocated the teachings of Jesus and rejected those of Paul. His distinct claim was that his mission was to revive the relig ion of Abraham, the one truth concerning man's growth and development which had been taught by every truly inspired prophet since the world began. There is nothing in the authentic records to suggest that he ever departed from this idea or purpose. He admitted the inspiration of Jesus not only admitted it, but exalted it. But his whole course shows that he acquired his inspiration and spiritual knowledge as did the Nazarene. There may be room to doubt the perfection of Mohammed's inspiration, but none whatever to question its character. The turning point in Mohammed's career was when he came into contact with Waraka, his wife's cousin, who was what we would to-day call an occultist. Waraka had been for years a student of religion and an investigator of mysticism. It is my opinion that he gave to Mohammed suggestions which induced him to begin a course of psychical development, for the latter entered upon an ascetic life soon |