Si) 



bufr'on bringing a piece of iron near, it stop- 

 ed. The iron being removed, it recommenced its cir- 

 cular motion, which lasted for a 'minute more. Hence 

 it is evident, that did not some force continually act 

 upon the earth to keep up its motions, the attractive 

 power of the sun would soon stop, at least the diur- 

 nal one. 



11 The friction likewise of the etKer must be considerable* 

 Else why might not the earth revolve in twenty-four mi-'' 

 ntites as weti as twenty-four hours ? Indeed, this seems to 

 be one great use of the ether, to prevent the too rapid mo- 

 tions of the planets. And as the earth floats in the air, so 

 does ihe sun in the ether, his proper atmosphere, which 

 extends to the utmost limits of his system, and is the me- 

 dium funtcultor hami, by which he attracts all the planets 

 and comets, and prevents their flying out of the system. - 



" Neither will gravitation at all account for the motion 

 f>f comets. That in 1680 descending from an immense 

 height perpendicularly toward the sun, rose from hint 

 again with equal velocity. Now as its accesrto, arrl re- 

 cess from the sun, were made in strait lines, while they 

 were making, the projectile force must cease. But to 

 stop any projectile, is to destroy its motion. Hew came 

 it then to be so strongly exerted in the Perihelion! Was 

 there a continued miracle, a fresh projection given? Of l 

 tijd it rebound 7 What, front, the yielding ether! 



"Again. This comet, during half its circuit roimd the ' 

 sun, was distant from it brit one third of ihe moon's 

 distance from the earth. _ The attractive force therefore 

 was then vastly increased ; and the projectile being de- 

 stroyed, it must have: impinged on the sun long ago, had 

 tliere been no other force to prevent it. It is clear then 

 upon the \\hole, ihat the motions of the heavenly bodies, 

 catinot be accounted for a hy attraction and projection. 



" How then can they be accounted for? Possibly thus/ 

 The earth being an oblate spheroid, objected to the SUB 

 c 5 ^ 



