PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. 35 



face, being extremely rough and uneven in 

 r^fpedl of the particles of light, would di- 

 fperfe them indifferently in all direcflions, if 

 they rebounded from it by flriking : But, 

 will not the like difficulty ftill remain, viz. 

 how light can be reflefted or refraded regu- 

 larly by the beft-poliihed furface, if the 

 power of the body proceeds from an attra- 

 £^ion or repulfion belonging to each phyfical 

 point ? It might be perhaps fuppofed, that 

 the repuhive power produces reflexion at a 

 diftance fo great, in refpedt of the inequa- 

 lities that are left in polifhed bodies, that the 

 dired:ion of force, refulting from their joint 

 action, may be very nearly perpendicular to 

 the general furface of the body ; and this 

 might tend to account for the regular refle- 

 xion from the anterior furface of a denfer 

 medium. But, will this fuppofition fufiice 

 for explaining the regularity of refraftion, 

 and of reflexion, from the pofterior furface 

 o{ 2L denkr mediu?n : in both which cafes, 

 the light muft actually enter the pores of the 

 attradiing body, and therefore approach 

 much nearer to one inequality than another 3 

 fince the pores, by which it enters, are cer- 

 |;ainly much iefs than thofe inequalities ? la 



wat^j: 



