82 Traiishitioii of Rey's Essays 



pulling upwards, and the fermer downwards, with all their 

 might; whence would arise, at the place of their contiguity, 

 incomparably greater distress* than the pac^/^reacff experiences 

 which is pulled in opposite directions by two strong hands, till 

 at last it is broken by their efforts : far different from that knot 

 of friendship, in which nature has been pleased to unite the 

 neighbouring elements, planting in their bosoms similar quali- 

 ties, whence they communicate and amicably sympathize with 

 each other t. It follows from all this, that levity is a term that 

 signifies nothing absolute in nature, and must be rejected ; or, 

 if we retain it, it must only be to denote the relation of one sub- 

 stance, having less weight, to another which has more. 



Essay III. 

 There is no natural Motion in the upper Regions. 



What shadows would be if there were no bodies, such natural 

 motion in the upper regions will become, without levity. For, 

 of a truth, it would be monstrous, to see natural effects without 

 a natural cause. That is said to move naturally, whose cause 

 of motion is in itself. Now, casting a look on all that moves, 

 I see nothing that ascends by its own proper motion. Water, 

 indeed, rises in a glass, if we throw earth into it ; but all will 

 allow, that it is not from any levity that is in the water, but 

 rather, that the earth, by falling to the bottom, makes the water 

 ascend. Now, if water does not acknowledge levity as the cause 

 of this motion upwards, why should air confess it, which ascends 

 in like manner when pressed on by water ? Why fire, which 

 does the same ? It will be said, I doubt not, that if the upward 

 motion of the elements be not natural to them, it must be violent; 

 whence this absurdity follows, that each obtains its place in the 

 universe by force. To this I answer, that the elements not 



* Souffiance. 



t Fiscelle. 



i This is a good specimen of the style of philosophizing, in our author's 

 day ; and we wonder less at the visious of alchjmists and trausmuters, when 

 we find such stuflf proceed from such a man as Jeau Key. 



