14 MifceUanea Curtofa. 



THE fble Principle upon which this Author 

 proceeds to explain moft of the great and 

 furprizing Appearances of Nature, is no other 

 than that of Gravity^ whereby in the Earth all 

 Bodies have a tendency towards its Centre ; as is 

 moft: evident : And from undoubted Arguments 

 it's proved, that there is fuch a Gravitation to- 

 wards the Centre of the Sun, Moon, and all the 

 Planers. 



From this Principle, as a neceflary Confe- 

 quence, follows the Sphcerical Figure of the 

 Earth and Sea, and of all the other Cceleftial Bo- 

 dies : And tho' the tenacity and firmnefs of the 

 Solid Parts, fupport the Inequalities of the Land 

 above the Level ; yet the Fluids, preiling equal- 

 ly and eaftly yielding to each other, fbon reftore 

 ihs /Equilibrium^ ifdifturbed, and maintain the 

 exacl: Figure of the Globe. 



Now this force of Defcent of Bodies towards 

 the Centre, is not in all places alike, but is ftill 

 tefs and le/s, as the diftance from the Center en- 

 creafes : And in this Book it is demonftrated, 

 that this Force decreafes as the Square of the 

 diftance increafes ; that is, the weight of Bo- 

 dies, and the Force of their Fall is lefs, in parts 

 more removed from the Center, in the propor- 

 tion of the Squares of the Diftance. So as for 

 Example, a Ton weight on the Surface of the 

 Earth, if it were rai/ed to the height of 4000 

 Miles, which I fuppofe the Semidiameter of the 

 Earth, would weigh but \ of a Ton, or 5* Hun« 

 dred weight: If to iaooo Miles, or 3 Semidi- 

 ameters from the Surface, that is 4 from the 

 Center, it would weigh but part of the 

 Weight on the Surface, or a Hundred and 

 Quarter : So that it would be as eafie for the 



Strength 



