Attraction. 11 



overcome this attraction, which causes a body to 

 be heavy (gravis) ; and hence comes the verbal 

 noun gravitation. 



To illustrate these matters, drop a little water 

 or any other liquid on a table, and place upon 

 the liquid a piece of loaf sugar, the water or 

 fluid will ascend, or, in vulgar language, be 

 sucked up into the pores of the sugar ; that is, 

 the one is attracted by the other. Again, if you 

 take two leaden bullets, and pare a piece off the 

 side of each, and make the surface, where you 

 have taken off the piece, exceedingly smooth, and 

 then press the two balls together, you will find 

 them adhere strongly together ; that is, they are 

 mutually attracted by each other. 



If you take a piece of sealing-wax or amber, 

 with a smooth surface, and rub it pretty quickly 

 upon your coat sleeve till it becomes warm, you 

 will find that if straws, feathers, hairs, or any 

 very light bodies, are brought within the distance 

 of from an inch to half an inch of it, these light 

 bodies will be drawn to the sealing-wax or amber, 

 and will adhere to it. Thus, in philosophical 

 language, they are attracted by it. 



This last effect is very similar to what you 

 have heard of the magnet or loadstone, or what 

 many of you may have seen performed by the 

 little artificial magnets, which afford a very 

 rational and pretty amusement to young persons. 

 You have seen needles, steel filings, or even 

 knives or keys presented to the magnet, and at- 



