7b ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



pulGve force of the vis infita : The Ger- 

 mans holding it to be as the fqaares of 

 the velocities ; the Englifli and French 

 holding it to be fimply as the velocities. 

 The difpute is fpun out to a great length: 

 The parties, as is ufual, being more foli- 

 citous to enforce their own arguments, 

 than to give fair play to thofe advanced 

 by their antagonifts. And, by profu- 

 fion of writing, the point is rendered iki 

 perplexed and intricate, that there ap- 

 pears not a better way to come at the 

 truth, than, neglecting the arguments on 

 both fides, to apply direcflly to fadis for a 

 folution, as one would do upon a point 

 newly darted. 



Considering the matter abftradlly, 

 I cannot find that there is any inconfift* 

 ency in the German hypothecs. As we 

 may conceive the vis inftta to be exerted 

 according to any affignable law, fo we 

 may conceive it to be exerted in any aP* 

 {ignable degree. When we coniider the 

 vis iiifita as employed in prefer ving the 

 fame degree of velocity, it follows necef- 

 farily, that its force, which is the cau{(?, 



mud 



