14 THOUGHTS ON NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 



body continues in its state of uniform motion in a 

 straight line or in its state of rest, except in so far 

 as it may be compelled by motion or force to change 



states. 



The advantage of this amended law is that you 

 are dealing with known things, and in their right 



/WJDcder, and do not have to imagine fanciful ideas. 

 r This amended law agrees with my axiom that 

 ^/ "Two portions of matter, moving ^adjacent at equal 

 ' rates of speed along a straight line, must continue to 

 move together as long as their rates of speed remain 

 equal, and they do not receive any interference." 



This is the fundamental law of material com- 

 bination. When they meet other portions of matter 

 and clash, they combine to execute the work of 

 moving the other portions, or are moved, as the 

 case may be; but either way they combine to ex- 

 ercise force and do work. 



The birds in the air, the fishes in the water, 

 animals on land, and all moving things illustrate 

 the truth of the axiom. As long as they move 

 adjacent to one another, at equal rates of speed, 

 along a straight line, without interference, they keep 

 together. 



Matter, having motion, must have speed and 

 direction, and therefore eventually adjacency. 



Some may object that if matter had been projected 

 from points along a straight line at sufficient speed 

 it would continue so to progress infinitely, without 

 adjacency and collision; and this no doubt is true. 

 But it is only necessary to state the objection for it 



* This includes parallel adjacency. 



