Chap. 1 8. A Tr<4t/fe of B O D I E S. 1 57 



ieather,they draw up likcwife the heavy ftone. IH all which, the 

 firft caufc of the motion procecdcth from that body towards w ch 

 the morion is made. And therefore is properly called Attraction* 

 For the better underftanding and declaring of which, let us 

 fuppofe two marble ftones, very broad and exceeding fmoothly 

 poliflicd to be laid one flat upon the otherrand let there be a ring 

 fattncd at the back part of the uppermoft ftone ; and cxa&ly in 

 the middle of it. Then by that ring, pull it up perpendicularly 

 and fteadily, and the undermoft will follow kicking faft to the 

 overmoftjand though they were not very perfectly polifhed,yet 

 the ncthermoft would follow for a while, if the ring befuddenly 

 plucked up ; but then it will fbon fall down again. Now this 

 plainly fheweth that thccaufe of their flicking fo ftrongly tege- 

 ther,when both the ftones are very well polifhed,is for that no- 

 thing can well enter between them to part them; and fo, it is re- 

 duced to the fhortnefle of the aire that is betwixt them : which 

 not being capable of fb great an expanfion., nor admitting to be 

 divided thickwaycs fb much as is neceflary to fill the firft grow- 

 ing diftance,between the two ftones till new air findeth a courfe 

 thither (that fb, the (welling of the one, may hinder vacuity, till 

 the other come into the refcue;)the two ftones mutt needs flick 

 together to certain limits ; which limit* will depend of the pro- 

 portion that is between the weighted the continuity of the ne- 

 thermoft ftone. 



And when we have examined this, we fhall underftand in 

 what fenfe it is meaned that T^attire tibhorreth from VttcHit], The n *" e renfe 

 and what means fhe ufeth to avoid it. For,to put it as an enemy of the 

 that nature fighteth againft; or to difcourfeofcffe6h that would t^eti 

 follow from ir,in cafe it were admitted, is a great miftake, and a fu j- 

 loft labour; feeing it is nothingjand thereforejcan donothirtgrbut 

 is merely a forme of expreflion to declare in fhort nothing elfc 

 but that it is a comradifiion, or implication in termes, and an 

 irnpoflibility in nature, for vacuity to have, or to be fuppofcd to 

 hive a Being. 



Thus then,fine in our cafe,afrer we havecaft all about,wc can 

 pitch upon nothing to be confidered, but that the two ftones do 

 touch one anothcr.and that they are weighty;wc muft apply our 

 fclves onely to reflect upon the cffc(5ts proceeding from thefe two 

 caufcsj their contiguity and their heavineffe ; and we (hall find 



N 3 that 



