[ S84 ] 
LV. An Atte?npt to explain fojne of the prm-^ 
cipal Phcenomena of EleElrkity^ by Means 
of an elaftc Fluid: By the Ho7iourable 
Henry Cavendifli, F, R. S. 
O paper, I find that this way of 
accounting for tne phsenomena of electricity, is not 
flew. iEpinus, in his Tentamen Theorise eledlricitatis 
-6c magnetifmi, has made ufe of the fame, or nearly 
the fame hypothefis that I have ; and the conclufions 
he draws from it, agree nearly with mine, as far as 
he goes. However, as I have carried the theory 
much farther than he has done, and have confidered 
the fubjedl in a different, and, I flatter myfelf, in a 
more accurate manner, I hope the Society will not 
think this paper unworthy their acceptance. 
The method I propofe to follow is, firfl, to lay 
flown the hypothefis j next, to examine by ftrid ma- 
thematical reafoning, or at leafl, as ftriCf reafoning as 
the nature of the fubjeCf vvill admit of, what confe- 
quences will flow from thence ; and laftly, to ex- 
amine how far thefc confequences agree with fuch ex- 
periments as have yet been made on this fubjed:. In 
a future paper, I intend to give the refult of fome 
experiments I am making, with intent to examine 
^ rtill further the truth of this hypothefis, and to find 
out the law of the eleCtric attradion and repulfion. 
^ Hvpo- 
