250 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



If Philofophy denies the influence of the Moon 

 over the minuter objedls of the Earth, flie makes 

 it up amply, by conferring on her a very extenfive 

 power over the Globe itfelf, vviihout being over- 

 fcrupulous about the felf-contradi6tion. She af- 

 firms, that the Moon, in paffing over the Ocean, 

 prefles upon it, and thus ocçafions the flux of the 

 tides on it's fliores. But how is it poflîble that 

 the Moon fliould comprefsour Atmofphere, which 

 only extends, they fay, to a fcore of leagues, at 

 moft, from us ? Or, admitting a fubtile matter, 

 and pofleffed of great elafticity, which fliould ex- 

 tend from our Seas as far as to the globe of the 

 Moon, how could this matter be comprefl^ed by 

 it, unlefs you fuppofe it confined in a channel ? 

 Mufl: it not, in it's aâiualflate, extend to the right 

 and to the left, while the aftion of the planet found 

 it inipoffible to make itfelf felt on any one deter- 

 minate point of the circumference ot our Globe ? 



Befides, why does not the Moon acl on lakes, 

 and feas of fmall extent, where theie are no tides ? 

 Their fmallnefs ought no more to exempt thera 

 from the influence of her gravitation, than depriye 

 them of the benefit of her light. Why are tides 

 almoft imperceptible in the Mediterranean ? 

 Wherefore do they undergo, in many places, in- 

 termittent movements, and retardations of two or 

 three days ? Wherefore, in a word, toward the North, 



do 



