Chap. 12. \ATraiifcof BODIES. 127 



the motion of any foJid body.-which being admitted it is evident 

 that a great difordcr,and for fomc remarkable time, muft nece- 

 farily be in the aire ; fince it cannot brook to continue in more 

 rarity or dcnfhy then is natural] unto it. Nor can weighty and 

 light parts agree to reft in an equall height or lowneflc; which 

 the violence of the arrows motion forceth them unto for thepre- 

 feru. Therefore it cannot be denied", btit that though the arrow 

 flide away, neverthelefle there (till remaineth behind it (by this 

 condenfation and confufion ofparts in the aire) motion enough 

 to give imptilfe unto the arrow, fo as to make it continue its 

 motion after the bowftring hath left it. 



But here will arife a difficulty: which is, how this clapping in 4 



and undulation of the aire fhould have ftrength and efficacy e- JJt" ftren-'th 

 nough tocaufe the continuance of fb fmart a motion,as is an ar- encugh to n con- 

 rows (Lot from a bow. To this I need no other argument for an molfoU??" 

 anfwer then to produce Galileos teftimony, how great a body moveabic. 



/-, i_ L t J n Diali. otmoti- 



one fingle mans breath alone can in due circumltances give a ona.?. 

 rapid motion unto: and withal!., let us confider how the arrow 

 and the aire about it are already in a certain degree of velocity ; 

 that is to fay, the obftacle that would hinder it from moving 

 that way ('namely, the refinance of the aire) is taken away;aml 

 .the caufes that are to produce it(namely the determining of the 

 aires,and of the atomes motion that way ) are lightened. And 

 then we may fafely conclude that the arrow which of it (elf is in- 

 different to be moved upwards or downwards,or forwards,mufl: 

 needs obey that motion which is caufcd in it by the atomes, arul 

 the aires prefling upon it;either according to the impulfe of the 

 firing; or (when the firing beginncth to flagj according to the 

 beatings that follow the generallconltitution ofna-ture; or in a 

 mixt manner according to the proportions that thefe two hold to 

 one another. Which proportions Galileus in his 4. Dialogue of 

 motion hath attempted to explicate very ingeniotiflyzbut having 

 miffed in one of his fuppofitions; to \vit,that forced motion up- 

 on an horizontal! line, b throughput uniform; his great labours 

 therein have taken little effect towards the advancing the 

 knowledge of nature, as he pretended: for hisconclufions fuc- 

 cccd not in experience, as Meriemii3-*fllirech us after very cxaft 

 triails; nor can they in their rcafbns be fitted to nature. 

 So that to conclude this point;! find no difficulty in allowing 



this 



