C 57' ) 
* Cand confeqiiently the remaitiiag Air is as weak again 
* as at fomeching like a fmall Rain falls. But 
‘ why Ihou’d the Air become lighter? One might ima- 
* gine that in the Place where it rains, it may have loft 
‘ feme of its Weight and Bulk, by means of the Winds 
* carrying away fome Part of it; but Monfieur Leibnitz, 
‘ in a Letter to the Abbot Bignon, gives a more inge' 
* nious and more new Reafon for it. 
‘ He pretends that a Body, which is in a Liquid, 
* weighs with that Liquid, and makes up part of its 
‘ whole Weight, fo long as it is fuftained in it; but if 
‘ it ceafes to be fullain’d, and confequencly falls, its 
‘ Weight no longer makes a Part of the Weight of the 
Liquid, which thereby comes to weigh lefs. This 
* may naturally be applied to the abovementioned Par- 
* tides of Water; they encreafe the Weight of the Air 
‘ when it fuftains them, which is diminiftied when it lets 
* them fall : and as it may often happen that the Parti* 
cles of Water that are higheft, fall a confiderable time 
* before they join with thofe that are low, the Gravity 
‘ of the Air diminilhes before it rains, and the Barome* 
‘ ter Ihews it. 
‘ This new Principle of Monfieur Leibnitz^ is furpri* 
‘ zing. For muft not a Grange Body, whether ruftain*^ 
‘ ed in a Liquid or not, always weigh? Can it gravi- 
* rate upon any other bottom than that which fuftains 
‘ the whole Liquor.^ Does that Bottom ceafe to car- 
‘ ry a ftrange Body, becaufe it falls? And is not that.. 
* body all the while it is falling, part of the laid Li- 
‘ quid as to the Weight .> ALthat race, whilft a Chy# 
‘ mical Precipitation is made, the whole Matter ought 
* to weigh left, which has never been obferved, andt 
‘ fcarce appears credible, 
* Notwithftanding thefe Objections the Principle' 
^ holds goodi when more clofely examin’d. What fu- 
‘ ftaitis. 
