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able to a glass tube. A greater quantity of etherial fire 

 is collected by this means than by the other. I say, 

 collected ; for that fire is no more created by rubbing, 

 than water is by pumping. The grand reservoir thereof 

 is the earth, fro:n which it is diffused every way. Ac- 

 cordingly HI tiiese experiments, the globe rubbing against 

 the cushion, collects fire from it. The cushion receives 

 it from the frame of the machine : the frame of the ma- 

 chine from the floor. But if you cut off the communi- 

 cation with the floor, far less fire can be produced, 

 because less is collected. 



Many new discoveries have been made by means of a 

 large, but thin glass phial. This phial is hung on any 

 metallic body, which communicates by a wire, with the 

 globe. This metallic body has been termed the prime 

 conductor, as it conducts or conveys the fire, collected 

 by the globe, either into the phial, or into any other body 

 communicating therewith. 



But all bodies are not capable of receiving it. There 

 is in this respect an amazing difference between them. 

 The excrements of nature, as wax, silk, hair, will not re- 

 ceive the etherial lire, neither convey it to other bodies : 

 so that, whenever in circulating it comes to any of these, 

 it is at a full stop. Air itself is a body of this kind; with 

 great difficulty either receiving or conveying this fire to 

 other bodies : so are pitch and rosin (excrcineiits, as it 

 were, of trees.) 'I o these we may add glass, amber, 

 brimstone, dry earth, and a few other bodies. Ihese 

 have been *requently stiled electrics per se ; as if they 

 alone contained the electric Jire : an eminently improper 

 title, founded on a palpable mistake. From the same 

 mistake, all other bodies, which easily receive and readily 

 convey it, were termed non electrics; on a supposition, 

 that they contained no electric Jire : the contrary of 

 which is now allowed by all. 



That this fire is inconceivably subtle, appears from its 

 permeating even iu the densest metals, and that with 

 il 4 



