Part I. in tl)e Creation. 95 



I might fpend much Time in the difcourfing 

 of the mofl ftrange and unaccountable Nature 

 and Power of the Loadftone, a Subjed: which 

 hath exercised the Wits and Pens of the mofl 

 acute and ingenious Philofophers ; and yet the 

 Hypothefes which they have invented to give an 

 Account of its admirable Phanomena feem to 

 me lame and unfatisfadory. What can we fay 

 of the Subtilty, Adivity, and Penetrancy of its 

 mfluvia^ which no Obftacle can flop or repel, 

 but they will nlake their w^ay thro' all Sorts of 

 Bodies, firm and fluid, denfe and rare, heavy and 

 light, pellucid and opake ? nay, they will pafs 

 thro' a Vacuity or empty Space, at leafl devoid 

 of Air and any other fenfible Body. Its attractive 

 Power of Iron was known to the Ancients : It& 

 Verticity and Diredion to the Poles of the Earth 

 is of later Invention ; which, of how infinite Ad- 

 vantage it hath been to thefe two or three kft 

 Ages, the great Improvement of Navigation, and 

 Advancement of Trade and Commerce, by ren- 

 dring the remotefl Countries eafily acceffible; 

 the noble Difcovery of a vaft Continent or new 

 World, befides a Multitude of unknown King- 

 doms and Iflands 3 the refolving experimentally 

 thofe ancient Problems of the fpherical Round- 

 nefs of the Earth 3 of the Being of Antipodes^ or 

 the Habitablenefs of the Torrid Zone\ and the 

 rendring the whole terraqueous Globe circum- 

 navigable, do abundantly demonflrate : whereas 

 formerly they were w^ont to Coafl it, and creep 

 along the Shores, fcarce daring to venture out of 



the 



