92 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



one pufli forwards upon a fmooth farface, 

 fuch as ice for example, there is no need 

 for a fecond immediately ; and, were 

 there no attrition nor refillance from the 

 air, the motion would continue for ever. 

 Jf a body fet in motion were to ftop, re- 

 tard, or any way change' its motion of it- 

 felf, that would betray an inclination oi: 

 tendency to one Hate preferably to ano- 

 ther J it would ,no longer appear equally 

 indiffrrent to either, in which alone paffi- 

 vity confiils. 



The mod general law of matter wq 

 difcover by experience is, that everv eflecl 

 continues till deftroyed by fomeihing. 

 Why then may not motion continue till 

 it be deftroyed, as well as the magnitude, 

 figure, colour, or any other property of 

 body? or even as well as the very exi- 

 llence ot matter? "Motion is indeed a 

 " mode of exigence different from all o- 

 " thers, nor can we compare it to any 

 " thing that is not motion*." But that; 

 is no reafon why it ihould change of it- 



felf, 



• Eflay I. p. 20, 



