3B<5 GRAVITATING FORCE. SECT. XXXVIII. 



SECTION XXXVIII. 



Diffusion of Matter through Space Gravitation Its Velocity-c Simplicity 

 of its Laws Gravitation independent of the Magnitude and Distan-es of 

 the Bodies Not impeded by the Intervention of any Substance Its 

 Intensity invariable General Laws Recapitulation and Conclusion. 



THE known quantity of matter bears a very small pro- 

 portion to the immensity of space. Large as the bodies 

 are, the distances which separate them are immeasura- 

 bly greater ; but as design is manifest in every part of 

 creation, it is probable that if the various systems in the 

 universe had been nearer to one another, their mutual 

 disturbances would have been inconsistent with the har- 

 mony and stability of the whole. It is clear that space 

 is not pervaded by atmospheric air, since its resistance 

 would, long ere this, have destroyed the velocity of the 

 planets ; neither can we affirm it to be a void, since it 

 seems to be replete with ether, and traversed in all di- 

 rections by light, heat, gravitation, and possibly by influ- 

 ences whereof we can form no idea. 



Whatever the laws may be that obtain in the more 

 distant regions of creation, we are assured that one alone 

 regulates the motions, not only of our own system, but 

 also of the binary systems of the fixed stars ; and as 

 general laws form the ultimate object of philosophical re- 

 search, we cannot conclude these remarks without con- 

 sidering the nature of gravitation that extraordinary 

 power, whose effects we have been endeavoring to trace 

 through some of their mazes. It was at one time im- 

 agined that the acceleration in the moon's mean motion 

 was occasioned by the , successive transmission of the 

 gravitating force. It has been proved, that in order to 

 produce this effect, its velocity must be about fifty mill- 

 ions of times greater than that of light, which flies at 

 the rate of 200,000 miles in a second. Its action, even 

 at the distance of the sun, may therefore be regarded 

 as instantaneous ; yet so remote are the nearest of the 

 fixed stars, that it may be doubted whether the sun has 

 any sensible influence on them. 



The curves in which the celestial bodies move bv th#. 



