270 EXPANSIBILITY. 



who had any conception of expansibility sub- 

 sisting as an inherent and essential power, of 

 expansibility, independently of resistance. The 

 utmost extent of their knowledge was limited 

 to re-action alone ; to that sort of power which 

 is derived in consequence of external pressure. 

 It is, perhaps, still more astonishing', that a 

 distinction so strong, and so well defined, has 

 not only been overlooked, but is, at this mo- 

 ment, admitted by very few. 



It appears to me very probable that the pre- 

 sent prejudices are merely the result of former 

 errors, handed down to us through the medium 

 of PROFESSOR GRAVESANDE and other com- 

 mentators on the laws of nature, as they have 

 been called, of Sir ISAAC NEWTON, who was 

 the original legatee. So far, however, from 

 considering these laws, to be laws of nature ; 

 from all the attention which I have given to 

 them, I am bound to declare that they are 

 mere assertions, contrary to nature ; mere ab- 

 stract terms, which require a condition of things 

 that in nature does not exist, but which, never- 

 theless, is to be presupposed. 



