Anal^fis of the Air. 313 
watry and other particles, which float in. 
the air 5 yet the repelling force of the leaft 
claftick particle, near the furface of the earth, 
while it continues in that claftick ftate, muft 
be fuperior to the incumbent prcflure of a 
column of air, whole height is equal to that 
of the atmofphere, and its bafc to the fur- 
face of the fphere of its claftick acUvity. 
Thus upon the whole, we fee that air a- 
boundsin animal, vegetable and mineral fub- 
ftances 5 in all which it bears a confiderable 
part : if all the parts of matter were only 
endued with a ftrongly attracting power, 
whole nature would then immediately be- 
f:ome one unaCtive cohering lump; where- 
fore it was abfolutely neceflary, in order to 
the aduating and enlivening this vaft mafs of 
attracting matter, that there fliould be every 
where intermixed with it a due proportion 
of ftrongly repelling claftick particles, which 
might enliven the whole mafs, by the iii- 
ceflant aCtion between them and the at- 
tracting particles : And fmee thefe claftick 
particles are contirtually in great abundance 
reduced by the power of the ftrong attraCters, 
from an claftick, to a fixt ftate 5 it was there- 
fore neceflary that thefe particles Ihould be 
endued 
