Chemicar Affinities. 69 



moving in their orbits, and so secures by that one tap the 

 motion of the planets in their orbits for ever, and sets in 

 motion the equally complex axoidal motion ; and what the 

 tap is to orbital and axoidal motion in astronomy, that is 

 the original mould or stamp upon each series of molecular 

 arrangement, in the germ known as perfect seed, to organic 

 nature. In one system it is unifaction of motion ; in the 

 other the stamp of the germ leads to the unifaction of 

 generation, but quite as distinct in one as the other. 



It will be said that the opinion given at first was that it 

 was one force, as vital force, which ruled both the organic 

 and inorganic world. This is perfectly true. 



Matter being subject to interpenetration by fluids having 

 adverse action upon itself, makes the expression of those 

 actions conveniently range themselves on the side of matter 

 itself, as though the matter had in each of its atoms direct 

 force or power, though the different degrees of susceptibility 

 each element, in its atoms and primitive compounds, has for 

 the respective fluids, are the direct and only measure of the 

 force which it possesses ; but as these are distinct and 

 peculiar in each element, so the effect is uniform and 

 invariable in every atom similarly conditioned throughout the 

 universe, and that effect in its totality is the universal law 

 of Precursion. 



Or, that every atom of each distinct kind of element has 

 a different degree of attractive and repellent power to every 

 other atom with which it is surrounded or brought in 

 contact, whereby all the grades of hardness, softness, 

 elasticity, brittleness, opacity, etc., etc., are produced ; and 

 from this law of motion and rest all natural mechanism is 

 sustained ; though rest, abstractedly considered, is but a com- 

 parative thing, as absolute rest exists nowhere in this 

 universe, for things apparently at rest are still moving, as 

 the hand that writes and the paper inscribed are both 



