146 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



Cartes imagined. And it is needlefs atpre- 

 ient to examine, whether it can be better ex- 

 plained by means of a rare elaftic aether. 

 If Sir Ifaac Newton endeavours in that 

 manner to account for gravity, the attrac- 

 tion of cohciGon, the refledlion and refrac- 

 tion of light, 8cc. it is only with a view 

 to point out fome more general mechani- 

 cal caufe, upon which all thefe powers 

 may poflibly depend. He never could 

 believe that his aether was pofleired of a 

 real adtivity of its own. The elafticicy of 

 that fluid, muft itfelf either proceed from 

 fome higher mechanical caufe, or flow 

 immediately from fome vital intelligent 

 principle, which muft be immechanical. 

 The mutual repulflons betwixt one parti- 

 cle and another of the fluid, and betwixt 

 the fluid and the bodies fwimming in it, 

 difcover as much variety and regularity, 

 as were before (Tbferved in the phaenome- 

 na of gravity ; and muft confequently be 

 regarded as the continual efledls of thought 

 and defign. 



It feems to have been far from Sir l« 



faac's 



