Jddiilonal Koles: 383 



observe, that Boscovich was aware of tliis obj^-ction, and answered 

 it by denying that extension is a necessary attribute of matter. But 

 is not this a pctitio pr/ncipii ? And if it be adniittcd, we may 

 well ask, wherein does matter, acconling to tliis philosoplun", 

 differ from spirit F 



Leibnitz had taught before Boscovich, that the first principles of 

 matter are incxtcnded points. The princij^al dirtijrence between 

 the monads of the former, and the incxtcnded atoms of the latter, 

 lies in the qualities or forces witli which they are represented as 

 endowed. The attractive and repulsive powers of Boscovich differ 

 materially from the active and perceptive powers of Leibnitz, 

 which he considered as sufficient not only to actuate the monad 

 at a particular point of time, but also to produce all the changes 

 which it undergoes from the beginning to eternity. 



Boscovich seems to have been the fii-st who rejected all im- 

 mediate contact between bodies, and their constituent parti- 

 cles. In this way he got rid of the diiBculty of supposing an <rx- 

 teiided substance to be made up of incxtcnded points. Leibnit^ 

 by not resorting to the same bold doctrine, left tliis diilicalty ly* 

 ing in all its force against his system. 



Note (Djf /). 20. — ^The following account of experiments on 

 the influence of electricity, in forwarding the germination and 

 growtli of plants, is extracted from the Botanic Garden, part i, 

 canto i, note. 



'' The influence of electricity, in forwarding the germination 

 of plants and tlieir growth, seems to be pretty well established; 

 though M. Ingenhousz did not succeed in his experiments, and 

 thence doubts the success of others ; and though ^L Rouiand 

 from his new experiments believes, that neither positive nor nega- 

 tive electricity increases vegetation, both which philosophers had 

 previously been supporters of the contrary doctrine : for many 

 other naturalists have since repeated their experiments relati^•e to 

 this object, and tlieir new results have confirmed their former 

 ones. M. d'Ormoy, and the two Roziers, have found the same 

 success in numerous experiments which they have made in the 

 last two years 5 and M. Carmoy has shown, in a convincing man- 

 ner, that electricity accelerates germination. 



*' M. d'Ormoy not only found various seeds to vegetate sooner, 

 and to grow taller, which were put upon his insulated table, and 

 supplied with electricity, but also, that silk-worms began to spin 



