[ 745 ] 
S. Does not the Power we are now Matters of, 
of feeing the Separation of Fire from Bodies by 
Motion §, and of feeing it reftored to them again, 
and even after that Motion has ceafed, caufe us ra- 
ther to incline to the Opinions of Homberg (a), 
L emery the younger (£), s Grave fund (r), and 
Boerhaave , 
§ The fetting in of the Fire to the glafs Tubes and Globes has 
always, in thefe Experiments, been vifible both from the Hands 
and Cufhions, by which they were rubbed. But as, till now, this 
Fire was confidered as coming from the Glafs, that, obferved upon 
the Hands and Cufhions, was always believed to be fo much loft 
by running down the Inftruments of Fri&ion into the Floor. I 
endeavoured to prevent this Lofs, by ftanding upon Originally- 
electrics ; and found, to my great Surprize, that fo far from in- 
creafing the ele&rical Power, by flopping what I conjectured was 
fo much Lofs, I could excite then no EleCtricity at all in the Tube 
and Globes. This Difappointment, which, I afterwards found, 
had occurred to Meff. Bofe and Allamand , was the Foundation of 
my difcovering the Source of the Electricity, and the Manner of 
its Ingrefs to the Machine. 
( a ) Homberg du fouphre principe. Mem. de V Acad. Royale des 
Sciences , 1705. La matiere de la lumiere eft la plus petite de 
toutes matieres fenfibles — elle pafle librement au travers et pat les 
pores de tous les corps, que nous connoiflons. — Que tout 1 * uni- 
vers eft rempli de la matiere de la lumiere J’ai mieux donne a 
notre fouphre principe le nom de matiere de la lumiere, queceiledu 
feu, quoique ce foit proprement la meme chofe. 
( b ) Lemery le fils. Mem. de V Acad. 1709. p. 527. La ma- 
tiere de feu doit etre regardee, comme un fluide d’une certaine 
nature, et qui a des proprietez particulieres, qui le diftinguent de 
tout autre fluide. Pag. 8. — — Qu’une matiere beaucoup plus fub- 
tile et plus agitee, qui remplit tous les vuides de l’univers, et ne 
trouve point les pores fi etroits, qui ne lui laiflent un libre paflage, 
coule inceftamment dans les lieux ou elle eft enfermee/'et entre- 
tient fon mouvement. 
(c) s' Grave f and Philofoph. Newton inftitutiones, cap. 1 . Ignis 
in corpora omnia quantumvis denfa et dura penetrat.*—— Corpo- 
ribus 
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