40 



oscilations.) No body, under the influence of calorific motion 

 can move in direct lines to and from the centre of motion ; for 

 the moment its rarity equals that of the medium through which it 

 passes, it must cease to be a distinct body and become homogen- * 

 eons with that medium. 



Now suppose this ethereal medium to possess the same degree 

 of density every where, whether in general space or between the 

 atoms of solid bodies ; then we have a fixed law of proportion 

 between the density of an atom or a body and the eccentrity of 

 the elipse of its orbit in this medium, and we may learn the exact 

 density of every body in our solar system as soon as we know 

 the elements of their orbits.* 



From this hasty view of the laws of motion, it appears evident 

 that calorific motion is the primary cause of all effects in the 

 material world. There could be no motion without it. " God 

 said, Let there be light, and there was light." This light arose 

 from the application of caloric to the oxygeneous and hydrogen- 

 eous elements in an uncombined state. Here this universal agent 

 was introduced the sun was lighted up and from that moment 

 it went on, aided by the laws of mechanical and organic motion, 

 to the complete formation of the present material world, under 

 the guidance of Him who first introduced it. 



The rotatory motion of storms, whirlwinds, and waterspouts, is 

 the result of this oscilative force modified by mechanical causes, 

 and running through every degree of elipticity of gyration, and 

 every degree of elevation from a horizontal to a perpendicular 

 whirl, depending on Ihe alternate rarification and condensation 

 of matter the ever-beating pulse of nature. 



* According to this law of motion a comet must be extremely rare, and especially so 

 when near the sun, for it moves in an extremely cecentiic elipsis. Many of them must be 

 less dense than our atmosphere: and from the laws of light here developed, we perceive 

 that the comet's tail does not consist of matter, but is nothing more than the sun's light 

 deprived of its calorific and red rays while passing through the comet ; which accounts 

 for the cold weather experienced during acometary visit, as well as the stream of whitish 

 light called the tail. 



It also appears from this system that our earth, and all other bodied in the solar sys- 

 tem, must increase in density from the earliest period of their existence till their final disso- 

 lution ; and therefore that their orbits must be tending towards perfect circles; and the 

 time occupied in each of their successive revolutions slowly diminishing. 



[The term elipsis, is used in this work to designate orbits describing conic sections.] 



