It may, perhaps, be considered natural that obsolete authorities should command the assent of a Church whose boast is to maintain the traditions of eighteen centuries intact. But the Aristotelian reaction extends to some who stand altogether aloof from Catholicism. M. Saint-Hilaire speaks in his preface of theology with dislike and suspicion; he has recently held office in a bitterly anti-clerical Government; yet his acceptance of Aristotles metaphysics is almost unreserved. The same tone is common to all official teaching278 in France; and any departure from the strict Peripatetic standard has to be apologised for as if it were a dangerous heresy. On turning to our own country, we find, indeed, a marked change since the time when, according to Mr. Matthew Arnold, Oxford tutors regarded the Ethics as absolutely infallible. The great place given to Plato in public instruction, and the rapidly increasing ascendency of evolutionary ideas, are at present enough to hold any rival authority in check; still, not only are the once neglected portions of Aristotles system beginning to attract fresh attentionwhich is an altogether commendable movementbut we also find the eminent Oxford teacher, whose work on the subject has been already referred to, expressing himself as follows:
"Take it, and welcome, sir," he said. "I shall have my hands full for the next day or two, and anyway there is no hurry."5. As the strength of shafts is determined by their size, and their size fixed by the strains to which they are subjected, [45] strains are first to be considered.
Director
CHAPTER XIFirst. By combining two or more operations in one machine, the only objects gained are a slight saving in first cost, one frame answering for two or more machines, and a saving of floor room.