dear to him to a girl characterized by her self…devotion； but this is
not all I have borrowed from him： his character and occupations were
of great value to me in writing that book； and the subject arose from
some reminiscences of our youthful meditations。 This present volume is
intended as a modest monument； a broken column； to commemorate the
life of the man who bequeathed to me all he had to leavehis
thoughts。
In that boyish effort Lambert had enshrined the ideas of a man。 Ten
years later； when I met some learned men who were devoting serious
attention to the phenomena that had struck us and that Lambert had so
marvelously analyzed； I understood the value of his work； then already
forgotten as childish。 I at once spent several months in recalling the
principal theories discovered by my poor schoolmate。 Having collected
my reminiscences； I can boldly state that； by 1812； he had proved；
divined； and set forth in his Treatise several important facts of
which； as he had declared； evidence was certain to come sooner or
later。 His philosophical speculations ought undoubtedly to gain him
recognition as one of the great thinkers who have appeared at wide
intervals among men； to reveal to them the bare skeleton of some
science to come； of which the roots spread slowly； but which； in due
time； bring forth fair fruit in the intellectual sphere。 Thus a humble
artisan； Bernard Palissy； searching the soil to find minerals for
glazing pottery； proclaimed； in the sixteenth century； with the
infallible intuition of genius； geological facts which it is now the
glory of Cuvier and Buffon to have demonstrated。
I can； I believe； give some idea of Lambert's Treatise by stating the
chief propositions on which it was based； but； in spite of myself； I
shall strip them of the ideas in which they were clothed； and which
were indeed their indispensable accompaniment。 I started on a
different path； and only made use of those of his researches which
answered the purpose of my scheme。 I know not； therefore； whether as
his disciple I can faithfully expound his views； having assimilated
them in the first instance so as to color them with my own。
New ideas require new words； or a new and expanded use of old words；
extended and defined in their meaning。 Thus Lambert； to set forth the
basis of his system； had adopted certain common words that answered to
his notions。 The word Will he used to connote the medium in which the
mind moves； or to use a less abstract expression； the mass of power by
which man can reproduce； outside himself； the actions constituting his
external life。 Volitiona word due to Lockeexpressed the act by
which a man exerts his will。 The word Mind； or Thought； which he
regarded as the quintessential product of the Will； also represented
the medium in which the ideas originate to which thought gives
substance。 The Idea； a name common to every creation of the brain；
constituted the act by which man uses his mind。 Thus the Will and the
Mind were the two generating forces； the Volition and the Idea were
the two products。 Volition； he thought； was the Idea evolved from the
abstract state to a concrete state； from its generative fluid to a
solid expression； so to speak； if such words may be taken to formulate
notions so difficult of definition。 According to him； the Mind and
Ideas are the motion and the outcome of our inner organization； just
as the Will and Volition are of our external activity。
He gave the Will precedence over the Mind。
〃You must will before you can think；〃 he said。 〃Many beings live in a
condition of Willing without ever attaining to the condition of
Thinking。 In the North； life is long； in the South； it is shorter； but
in the North we see torpor； in the South a constant excitability of
the Will； up to the point where from an excess of cold or of heat the
organs are almost nullified。〃
The use of the word 〃medium〃 was suggested to him by an observation he
had made in his childhood； though； to be sure； he had no suspicion
then of its importance； but its singularity naturally struck his
delicately alert imagination。 His mother； a fragile； nervous woman；
all sensitiveness and affection； was one of those beings created to
represent womanhood in all the perfection of her attributes； but
relegated by a mistaken fate to too low a place in the social scale。
Wholly loving； and consequently wholly suffering； she died young；
having thrown all her energies into her motherly love。 Lambert； a
child of six； lying； but not always sleeping； in a cot by his mother's
bed； saw the electric sparks from her hair when she combed it。 The man
of fifteen made scientific application of this fact which had amused
the child； a fact beyond dispute； of which there is ample evidence in
many instances； especially of women who by a sad fatality are doomed
to let unappreciated feelings evaporate in the air； or some
superabundant power run to waste。
In support of his definitions； Lambert propounded a variety of
problems to be solved； challenges flung out to science； though he
proposed to seek the solution for himself。 He inquired； for instance；
whether the element that constitutes electricity does not enter as a
base into the specific fluid whence our Ideas and Volitions proceed？
Whether the hair； which loses its color； turns white； falls out； or
disappears； in proportion to the decay or crystallization of our
thoughts； may not be in fact a capillary system； either absorbent or
diffusive； and wholly electrical？ Whether the fluid phenomena of the
Will； a matter generated within us； and spontaneously reacting under
the impress of conditions as yet unobserved； were at all more
extraordinary than those of the invisible and intangible fluid
produced by a voltaic pile； and applied to the nervous system of a
dead man？ Whether the formation of Ideas and their constant diffusion
was less incomprehensible than evaporation of the atoms； imperceptible
indeed； but so violent in their effects； that are given off from a
grain of musk without any loss of weight。 Whether； granting that the
function of the skin is purely protective； absorbent； excretive； and
tactile； the circulation of the blood and all its mechanism would not
correspond with the transsubstantiation of our Will； as the
circulation of the nerve fluid corresponds to that of the Mind？
Finally； whether the more or less rapid affluence of these two real
substances may not be the result of a certain perfection or
imperfection of organs whose conditions require investigation in every
manifestation？
Having set forth these principles； he proposed to class the phenomena
of human life in two series of distinct results； demanding； with the
ardent insistency of conviction； a special analysis for each。 In fact；
having observed in almost every type of created thing two separate
motions； he assumed； nay； he asserted； their existence in our human
nature； and designated this vital antithesis Action and Reaction。
〃A desire；〃 he said； 〃is a fact completely accomplished in our will
before it is accomplished externally。〃
Hence the sum…total of our Volitions and our Ideas constitutes Action；
and the sum…total of our external acts he called Reaction。
When I subsequently read the observations made by Bichat on the
duality of our external senses； I was really bewildered by my
recollections； recognizing the startling coincidences between the
views of that celebrated physiologist and those of Louis Lambert。 They
both died young； and they had with equal steps arrived at the same
strange truths。 Nature has in every case been pleased to give a
twofold purpose to the various apparatus that constitute her
creatures； and the twofold action of the human organism； which is now
ascertained beyond dispute； proves by a mass of evidence in daily life
how true were Lambert's deductions as to Action and Reaction。
The inner Being； the Being of Actionthe word he used to designate an
unknown specializationthe mysterious nexus of fibrils to which we
owe the inadequately investigated powers of thought and willin
short； the nameless entity which sees； acts； foresees the end； and
accomplishes everything before expressing itself in any physical
phenomenonmust； in conformity with its nature； be free from the
physical conditions by which the external Being of Reaction； the
visible man； is fettered in its manifestation。 From this followed a
multitude of logical explanation as to those results of our twofold
nature which appear the strangest； and a rectification of various
systems in which truth and falsehood are mingled。
Certain men； having had a glimpse of some phenomena of the natural
working of the Being of Action； were； like Swedenborg； carried away
above this world by their ardent soul； thirsting for poetry； and
filled with the Divine Spirit。 Thus； in their ignorance of the causes
and their admiration of the facts； they pleased their fancy by
regarding that inner man as divine； and constructing a mystical
universe。 Hence we have angels！ A lovely illusion which Lambert would
never abandon； cherishing it even when the sword of his logic was
cutting off their dazzling wings。
〃Heaven；〃 he would say； 〃must； after all； be the survival of our
perfected faculties； and hell the void into which our unperfected
faculties are cast away。〃
But how； then； in the ages when the understanding had preserved the
religious and spiritualist impressions； which prevailed from the time
of Christ till that of Descartes； between faith and doubt； how could
men help accounting for the mysteries of our nature otherwise than by
divine interposition？ Of whom but of God Himself could sages demand an
account of an invisible creature so actively and so reactively
sensitive； gifted with faculties so extensive； so improvable by use；
and so powerful under certain occult influences； that they could
sometimes see it annihilate； by some phenomenon of sight or movement；
space in its two manifestationsTime and Distanceof which the
former is the space of the intellect； the latter is physical space？
Sometimes they found it reconstructing the past； either by the power
of retrospective vision； or by the mystery of a palingenesis not
unlike