46 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



I fliall fpeak, likewife, of the nature of Fire^ 

 not to explain it, but to evince our profound ig- 

 norance of the fubjed:. This element, which ren- 

 ders all things elfe perceptible, itfelf eludes our 

 moft eager refearches. We fhall demonftrate, that 

 there is neither animal, nor plant, nor even foffil, 

 capable of fubfifling any length of time in it. It 

 is the only being which increafes it's bulk by com- 

 municating itfelf. It penetrates all bodies, with- 

 out being penetrated by them. It is divifible only 

 in one dimenfion. It has no gravity. Though 

 nothing attracts it to the centre of the Earth, it is 

 diffufed through all the parts of the "Globe. It's 

 nature differs from that of all other bodies. It's 

 deftruflive and indefinable character feems to fa- 

 vour the opinion of Newton, who confidered it 

 only as a motion communicated to matter, and 

 thereby reduced the number of Elements to three. 

 However, as it is one of the four general prin- 

 ciples of life, in every living creature; as we often 

 difcover it, in others, in a dormant ftate, and as 

 there is no one, as we fhall fee, but what has or- 

 gans, or parts, difpofed to weaken, or to multiply 

 thefe effefls, we mufb acknowledge it not only to 

 be an Element, but Nature's primary agent. 



From the Fire I fhall pafs to the Air. I fhall 

 examine the quality which it has of expanding and 

 contraéling, of heating and cooling ; and the ef- 

 fets 



