PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. $ 



what word it could ever be fuppofed to 

 be the explication of *. 



But it is no wonder thefe authors have 

 not given fatisfadion to each other, nor to 

 their readers, upon this fubje(5l ; for they 

 have attempted what is utterly impofliblCj 

 'uiz. to give a definition of a fimple idea* 

 They might as well have attempted a defini- 

 tion of colour or found, of pain or any o- 

 ther fimple feeling. It is to be regreted, 

 that natural philofophers and mathemati- 

 cians are not always well fkilled in logics, 

 and of this truth we fhall have but too 

 often occafion to give inftances. 



Scarce any author that I know has 

 thought of giving a definition of reft j yet 

 it is not a more fimple objedl than motion. 

 I can guefs at the reafon, that reft is the 

 more familiar objedl ; a greater number of 

 things appearing to be in a quiefcent ftate 

 than in motion. If every thing about us 

 appeared to move, we fhould be furprifed 

 the firft time we faw a body at reft, and 

 probably would endeavour to explain the 



thing 



* Locke coacerning human underftaading, B. 3. cb 4, 

 §8. 



