COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



earth, we may neglect the resistance of the at- 

 mosphere, and say that the meteor follows the 

 line of greatest traction ; and when a volcano 

 throws up a column of lava, we may neglect 

 the effects of gravity, and say that for the time 

 being the lava follows the line of least resist- 

 ance. We shall thus, without any considerable 

 inaccuracy, avoid cumbrous verbiage ; and in the 

 case of molecular motions propagated through 

 masses of matter, with which our exposition is 

 chiefly concerned, it is sufficiently accurate to 

 say that motion follows the line of least resist- 

 ance. 



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