PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. 11^ 



trary diredlion. This, far the fake of 

 fhortnefs, we may, and always do call, 

 the effcd of readion ; but we can tiever 

 imagine that there is any real a6live op- 

 polition of the body at reft to the motion 

 of the other. The great difficulty com- 

 plained of, is in conceiving how the one 

 body has its motion diminifhed by the 

 ftroke as much as the other is increafed, 

 while there is no adtive repugnancy allow- 

 ed in the one to the other. It would be 

 ridiculous enough to fancy, that the mo- 

 tion of the one was a part of the motioa 

 of the other ; and that the very fame 

 motion could be transferred from the one 

 into the other. " As well might the 

 " magnitude, figure, or colour, of one 

 ** body be imparted to another." But 

 this we may venture to fay, that, for aught 

 appears to the contrary, it follows from 

 the nature of a paffive, extended, and im- 

 penetrable fubftance, that motion is loft 

 in one by producing it in another. It 

 will be eafily admitted, that one motion 

 may deftroy an oppofite motion, and by 

 that means lofe of its own. Yet there is 



no 



