5 1 4 Analyjls of the Air. 



an elaftick to a fixt ftate. And 'tis confonant 

 to reafon to think, that the air may confift 

 of infinite degrees of thefe, from the mod 

 elaftick and repelling, till we come to the 

 more fluggim, watry, and other particles, 

 which float in the air; yet the repelling force 

 of the leafl elaftick particle, near the furface 

 of the earth, while it continues in that ela- 

 ftick ftate, muft be fuperior to the incumbent 

 preffure of a column of air, whofe height is 

 equal to that of the atmofphere, and its bafe 

 to the furface of the fphere of its elaftick 

 activity. 



Thus, upon the whole, we fee that air 

 abounds in animal, vegetable, and mineral 

 fubftancesj in all which it bears a confider- 

 able part : if all the parts of matter were 

 only endued with a ftrongly attracting power, 

 whole nature would then immediately be- 

 come one unactive cohering lump > where- 

 fore it was abfolutely neceflary, in order to 

 the actuating and enlivening this vaft mafs of 

 attracting matter, that there mould be every 

 where intermix'd with it a due proportion 

 of ftrongly repelling elaftick particles, which 

 might enliven the whole mafs, by the incef- 

 fant action between them and the attracting 

 particles : And fince thefe elaftick particles 



are 



