160 CONSTITUTION OF SOLIDS. 



that it is the business of experimental philosophy 

 to find them out." Yet it is an undoubted fact, 

 that nearly all the most distinguished followers 

 of Newton have represented him as teaching the 

 vacuum of space that the sun operates upon 

 the planets without any intervening mechanical 

 medium and that the gravitating matter of which 

 planets is composed, is held together by virtue of 

 inherent powers, or innate forces, which Newton 

 expressly says that he could not conceive. 



It was truly observed by Bacon, that "the 

 doctrines of great and original minds are often 

 degenerated and embased by time that while 

 the lighter parts of their labours float down the 

 stream of time, the weightier and more valuable, 

 frequently sink into oblivion."* This remark 

 applies with great force to the misconception and 

 perversion of the ancient systems of philosophy, 

 the most important features of which are but 

 vaguely and imperfectly comprehended by the 

 moderns. When Greece was the centre of light 

 and civilization to the whole world, nearly all her 

 most distinguished sages maintained the existence 

 of an igneous principle, which extended through- 

 out the universe. This powerful and omnipre- 

 sent agent was regarded by them as the life of 

 nature, and the cause of all concord and discord, 

 (by which they evidently meant attraction and 



* Advancement of Learning. 



