PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. 129 



greateft violende to reafon, be afcribed to 

 any blind tendency betwixt the attrading 

 bodies. This will beft appear upon da- 

 ting fome of its known eiSTeds. A flone 

 is drawn towards the' earth in Europe 

 and in America ; it changes its direaion 

 in different places, pointing always near- 

 ly to the center of the earth, (or exadly 

 in a line perpendicular to the level, furf ace) 

 in the fame manner as iron does towards 

 the loadftone, or a feather to the ekaric 

 tube. The attradive force of a ftone di- 

 minifhes, the farther it is removed from 

 the earth, according to a fixed rule, or as 

 the fquare of the diftance increafes. A 

 body placed by itfelf would ihove no 

 way ; but two bodies run together. A 

 given body is more attraded to a large 

 quantity of matter than to a lefTer. Is it 

 then conceivable, that an unthinking be- 

 ing Hiould be endued with an aaivity 

 which it regulates and varies in proportion 

 to the fituatiort, diftance, and magnitude' 

 of another body, whilft it is fuppofed to 

 be not in the lead influenced or aded up- 

 on by that other body, or any other 

 VolL R being 



