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PREFACE. 



WHICH was first, Matter or Force ? If we think 

 on this question we shall find that we are 

 unable to conceive of matter without force, or 

 force without matter. When God created the 

 elements of which the earth is composed, He 

 created certain wondrous forces, which are set 

 free, and become evident when matter acts on 

 matter. All these forces, with many differences, 

 have much in common, and if one is set free 

 it will immediately endeavour to free its com- 

 panions. Thus heat will enable us to eliminate 

 light, electricity, magnetism, and chemical 

 action ; chemical action will educe light, elec- 

 tricity, and heat ; in this way we find that all 

 the forces in nature tend to form mutually 

 dependent systems, and as the motion of one 

 star affects another, so force in action liberates 

 and renders evident forces previously tranquil. 



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