[ 4'o ] 
Nature, fhould plunge headlong into thefe Notions, and 
fuftain the Vortices pro arts focis^ is to me Matter 
of unaccountable Surprize. 
It appears to me, that a Vortex is as fhocking 
upon mature Confiderarion, as its Idea is fatisfadory 
upon the firft mentioning it. And Vortices^ in my 
Opinion, are like fmart Sayings (bons mots)^ which 
charm the Mind the firft, or, perhaps, the fecond 
time, but by a Repetition become quite flat and ia= 
fipid. What Man, indeed, (if free from Prejudice, 
and that the Spirit of Party has not depraved his 
judgment) would not be aftonifhed to fee brought 
on the Scene, not only VorticeSy but fuch as are com- 
pofed of an infinite Number of fmaller VorticeSy each 
of which ftill contains an innumerable Number of 
others fubordinate to them ? For Example : What ^ 
is this Air, this Water, this Oil, which Mon- 
fieur de Moliers takes pains to introduce? A Sport of 
the Imagination, or of the Mind, if you pleafe,- but 
in reality a Paper-building. It has been long fince 
faid, that according as Vortices fhall be multiplied, 
they will degenerate into Littlenefs and Puerility ; 
And thefe are the Sentiments even of the good Car- 
tejians of our Days. But might it not be faid, that 
the great Vortices having the fame Origin with the 
little, the latter fhew the Meannefs of Extraction of 
the former? As Matter is divifible in infinitums as 
to Vorticity, there is no Difference between the Great 
and the Small : And confequently, we have a Right 
to reject the large Vortices^ {mzzCartefians proferibe 
the fmall. 
It is on this Confideration that I am refolved to 
attack the Vortices: For I muft own, to the Shame 
of 
