Mr. Matthew Arnold delivered his first lecture in the United
States on Tuesday, in the Chickering Hall, New York. His subject was "Numbers," and his thesis that the multitude generally go wrong, but that the few,—the remnant, he called them,—who care for the truth, prevail against numbers in the end. It is, of course, impossible to judge of the lecture by the meagre epitome of it telegraphed to the Times ; but it seems to us certain that to judge by the inverse ratio of the numbers of the adherents of any view, would give even a worse rale for dis- covering where the truth lies, than to judge by the direct ratio. There are questions on which the popularity of an opinion,— or, at least, of a sentiment,—is a gauge of its truth, but there are no questions on which the unpopularity of an opinion, or of a sentiment, is any gauge of its truth. Newton did not stand so much alone in his mathematical views, as the man who bored the Mathematical Society a few years ago with his demonstra- tion that he had squared the circle. A religion which has no power to move numbers is certainly false, though a great many religions which have a vast deal of influence over numbers are certainly false also. Was not Mr. Arnold leading his hearers off on a false scent, when he raised the numerical question at all P
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