42 ESSAYS and OBSERVATIONS 
Or? GRANET 
RAVITY is one of the moft remark- 
able properties that belong to matter. 
By this property, which is univerfal, every 
particle of matter tends to every other parti- 
cle; whereby, if not obftructed, all mat- 
ter would be gathered into one mafs. As e- 
very particle of matter has this tendency, 
the tendencies of any two bodies toa mutual 
union, muft be in proportion to their quanti- 
ties of matter. And it is obferved that the 
force, which, at different diftances, is exerted 
by two bodies in order to be conjoined, is in 
the reciprocal proportion of the fquares of 
thefe diftances. It is by this property that. 
the heavenly bodies move round the fun, 
and are kept from flying off in a tangent: 
and it is by the fame property that bodies 
left free at any height, fall to the earth 
with an accelerated motion. When applied 
to the latter, it is commonly called gravz-- 
ty; when to the former, attradfion. Sir 
Tfaace — 
