Chap.j.] Franklin 's Theory of Eleffririty. 325 



has ftill its fupporters ; amongft the ableft of its de- 

 fenders was my late friend Mr. Adams, who, it muft 

 be confefied, upon this theory, has ingenioufly ac- 

 counted for the moft remarkable electrical pheno- 

 mena *. 



The theory of Franklin, however, though not with- 

 out its defects, has more fnnpliciry, and accounts for 

 fads in a more eafy and more natural manner. The 

 principles of this diftinguiflied philofopher may be re- 

 folved into the following axioms : 



i ft. The electric matter is one and the fame in all 

 bodies, and is not of two diftinct kinds. 



ad. All terreflrial bodies contain a quantity of this 

 matter. 



jd. The electric matter violently repels itfelf, but 

 attracts all other matter. 



4th. Glafs and other fubftances, denominated elec- 

 trics, contain a large portion of this matter, but are 

 impermeable by it. 



5th. Conducting fubftances are permeable-by it, and 

 do not conduct it merely over their furface. 



6th. A body may contain a fuperfluous quantity of 

 the electrical fluid, when it is faid, according to this 

 theory, to be in a pofttive ftate, or electrified plus ; and 

 when it contains lefs than its proper fhare it is faid to 

 be negative, or electrified minus. 



7. By exciting an electric, the equilibrium of the 

 fluid is broken, and the one body becomes overloaded 

 with electricity, while the other is deprived of its na- 

 tural fhare. 



Thus, according to the Franklinean theory, that 

 electricity, which was before called vitreous, is now 

 called pofitive electricity ; and that which was termed 

 the refmous, is now denominated negative electricity. 

 * See Mr. Adams's Lectures on Nat. Phil. vol. iv. 



Y 3 It 



