NOVUM OROANUM 269 



the yielding motion be, as it were, annihilated by the pre 

 dominance, or there be rather a continued, although an in 

 visible effort) will, perhaps, appear in the concurrence of 

 motions, although it escape our notice in their conflict, 

 For instance: let an experiment be made with muskets; 

 whether a musket-ball, at its utmost range in a straight 

 line, or (as it is commonly called) point-blank, strike with 

 less force when projected upward, where the motion of the 

 blow is simple, than when projected downward, where 

 the motion of gravity concurs with the blow. 



The rules of such instances of predominance as occur 

 should be collected: such as the following; the more gen 

 eral the desired advantage is, the stronger will be the mo 

 tion; the motion of connection, for instance, which relates 

 to the intercourse of the parts of the universe, is more 

 powerful than that of gravity, which relates to the inter 

 course of dense bodies only. Again, the desire of a private 

 good does not in general prevail against that of a public 

 one, except where the quantities are small. Would that 

 such were the case in civil matters! 



XLIX. In the twenty-fifth rank of prerogative instances 

 we will place suggesting instances; such as suggest, or point 

 out, that which is advantageous to mankind; for bare power 

 and knowledge in themselves exalt rather than enrich 

 human nature. We must, therefore, select from the gen 

 eral store such things as are most useful to mankind. We 

 shall have a better opportunity of discussing these when 

 we treat of the application to practice; besides, in the work 

 of interpretation, we leave room, on every subject, for the 

 human or optative chart; for it is a part of science to make 

 judicious inquiries and wishes. 



L. In the twenty-sixth rank of prerogative instances we 



