1 2d ESSAYS AND OBSERVAtrdNS 



of the lifelefs (lone. It will never enter 

 into his head, that the ftone flies away 

 with wings of its own. Such a perfon, 

 judging from firft appearances, that all 

 motion languifhes and decays, may, like-i 

 ly enough, be inclined to think that body 

 rather affeds a ftate of reft than a ftate of 

 motion ; and that the imprefled force 

 wonld not remain for ever: But he will 

 never entertain the fmalleft doubt, butj 

 that as long as the motion continues, it is 

 only an effed of the firft impulfe. And, 

 having once granted that motion can con- 

 tinue one moment as an efft&. after the 

 a(5lion of the moving power is over, the 

 fame reafon muft remain for its continu^- 

 ance the next moment of time, and fo on 

 for ever. When Vre fee a body continuing 

 to move with the felf-fame velocity which 

 is received from the hand, is it not more 

 natural to fay, that it does fo for want of 

 a power or adlivity to ftop itfelf, or to 

 deftroy this motion, than to imagine the 

 body to be no vvay determined by the im- 

 pulfe, but to be carried on with an equal 

 force by a power of its own continually 



exerted 



