Chap. I.] Mechanical Philosophy, 21 



lated by universal gravitation ; so the mutual ac- 

 tions of the particles of matter are produced and 

 regulated by tendencies of a similar kind, equally, 

 but not more, inexplicable, and the principles of 

 yvhxch. are to be discovered by as careful an atten- 

 tion to the phenomena, and by the same patient 

 thinking w^hich he had employed on the planetary 

 motions." But he seems to have willingly yielded, 

 to some abJe and diligent inquirer who should come 

 after him, both the labour and the honour of ex- 

 ploring this extensive field of speculation. 



Such an inquirer was the illustrious Boseovich, a 

 man equally distinguished for the purity of his 

 moral and religious character, the depth of his eru- 

 dition, and the native vigour and acuteness of his 

 .mind. A iew years after the death of the great 

 British philosopher, he published a new theory of 

 matter. In this theory, the whole mass of which 

 the bodies of the universe are composed, is sup- 

 posed to consist of an exceeding great, yet fmite, 

 number of simple, - indivisible, inextended atoms. 

 These atoms are endued by the Creator with re- 

 pulsive and attractive forces, which ^ ary according 

 to the distance. At very small distances the par- 

 ticles of matter repel each other; and this repul- 

 sive force increases beyond all limits, as the di- 

 stances are diminished ; and will, consequently, for 

 ever prevent actual contact. When the particles 

 of matter are removed to sensible distances, the 

 repulsive is exchanged for an attractive force, which 

 decreases in an inverse ratio with the squares oi the 

 distances, and extends beyond the sphere of the 

 most remote comets. Beside these repulsive and 

 attractive forces^ the particles of matter have that 



