Ojr THE ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER. 61/ 



however, directly opposite to that which assigns to the elastic medium the 

 power of passing freely through all the interstices of the ultimate atoms of 

 matter, since it could never pass between two atoms cohering in this manner; 

 we cannot therefore, at present, attempt to assert the identity of the forces of 

 gravitation and cohesion so strongly, as this theory would allow us to do, if 

 it could be established. In short, the whole of our inquiries, respecting the 

 intimate nature of forces of any kind, must be considered merely as specula- 

 tive amusements, which are of no further utility than as they make ovir views- 

 more general, and assist our experimental investigations. 



