356 Mr. Faraday [Feb. 27, 



would be an anfiihilation of force ; an effect equal in its infinity 

 and its consequences with creation, and only within the power of 

 Him who has created. 



We have a right to view gravitation under every form that 

 either its definition or its effects can suggest to the mind ; it is our 

 privilege to do so with every force in nature ; and it is only by so 

 doing, that we have succeeded, to a large extent, in relating the 

 various forms of power, so as to derive one from another, and 

 thereby obtain confirmatory evidence of the great principle of the 

 conservation of force. Then let us consider the two particles A and 

 B as attracting each other by the force of gravitation, under 

 another view. According to the definition, the force depends upon 

 both particles, and if the particle A or B were by itself, it could not 

 gravitate, i.e. it could have no attraction, no force of gravity. Sup- 

 posing A to exist in that isolated state and without gravitating 

 force, and then B placed in relation to it, gravitation comes on, as is 

 supposed, on the part of both. Now, without trying to imagine 

 how B, which had no gravitating force, can raise up gravitating 

 force in A ; and how A, equally without force beforehand can 

 raise up force in B, still, to imagine it as a fact done, is to admit a 

 creation of force in both particles ; and so to bring ourselves within 

 the impossible consequences which have already been referred to. 



It may be said we cannot have an idea of one particle by itself, 

 and so the reasoning fails. For my part I can comprehend a 

 particle by itself just as easily as many particles ; and though I 

 cannot conceive the relation of a lone particle to gravitation, 

 according to the limited view which is at present taken of that 

 force, I can conceive its relation to something which causes gravi- 

 tation, and with which, whether the particle is alone, or one of a 

 universe of other particles, it is always related. But the reasoning 

 upon a lone particle does not fail ; for as the particles can be sepa- 

 rated, we can easily conceive of the particle B being removed to an 

 infinite distance from A, and then the power in A will be infinitely 

 diminished. Such removal of B will be as if it were annihilated 

 in regard to A, and the force in A will be annihilated at the same 

 time : so that the case of a lone particle and that where different 

 distances only are considered become one, being identical with each 

 other in their consequences. And as removal of B to an infinite 

 distance is as regards A annihilation of B, so removal to the smallest 

 degree is, in principle, the same thing with displacement through 

 infinite space : the smallest increase in distance involves annihilation 

 of power ; the annihilation of the second particle, so as to have A 

 alone, involves no other consequence in relation to gravity ; there 

 is difference in degree, but no difference in the character of the 

 result. 



It seems hardly necessary to observe, that the same line of 

 thought grows up in the mind if we consider the mutual gravitating 

 action of one particle and many. The particle A will attract the 



