GRAVITATION VERSUS INERTIA 39 



Such are restless spirits, and must be slowly assimilated 

 by the solar body politic. Just as a pebble dropped into 

 the sea may be said to affect the position of every par- 

 ticle in it, just so does a comet disturb the general 

 equilibrium, until by many pulsings in and out across 

 the gravitational field, it falls into the orderly circu- 

 larity of path foreordained for it. 



So much then in support of my proposition that 

 the planetary motions, both of revolution and of rota- 

 tion, are not inertial ; but, on the contrary, are produced 

 by substantial, consentaneous causes, the principal of 

 these being the PRIME RESULTANT. 



