[June> 
370 The Origin of Falling Motion • 
which the particle falls during every vibration. It is arrested 
at this point by the surrounding attractions, the real and 
ultimate arresting force being the repelling impaCt of the 
particles of the supporting substance. 
Every downward movement of the particle is thus aided 
by gravitative attraction. Every upward movement is re- 
tarded. These invigorated downstrokes become themselves 
an element in the problem ; they add, by their imparting 
force, to the descending energy of the particles below them. 
Therefore the lower plane of particles manifests the com- 
bined gravitative energy of all the particles of the mass. 
This is what we call weight, this energy of impaCt, produced 
by gravity, of the particles of every substance upon its 
support. It constitutes an incessant rain of down-beating 
particles : they strike downwards with a vigour depending, 
primarily, upon their own response to gravity; secondarily, 
upon the gravitative pressure of the particles above them. 
The support must be strong enough to bear its load, or it 
will inevitably give way under this fierce and incessant rain. 
If the support be removed, what follows ? The forces sur- 
rounding the particle remain the same. It descends in 
response to the gravitative component of these forces. 
This descent is not resisted by the surrounding energies, 
since all the particles descend at the same time from the 
same cause. The only real resistance to fall is the upward 
compact of particles occupying the space through which the 
fall must take place. If this resistance be removed or suffi- 
ciently decreased every particle of the mass must simulta- 
neously descend in response to gravity, and the whole mass 
change its position. 
Thus the heat movements of the particles are made to 
conform in direction by the attraction of the earth, this 
conformity constituting a movement of the mass as a whole. 
And this is a regularly increasing movement. As the mass 
moves its motion constitutes an energy. The motion caused 
in each instant by gravitation remains the same. But it 
has a separate effeCt in every separate instant, and these 
effeCls are persistent and constantly accumulate, producing 
a regularly increasing motion of descent. 
Falling motion, then, appears to be a partial specialisation 
of the heat movements of the particles. These movements 
are made to conform in direction to a certain degree, under 
the influence of a fixed and persistent attraction. This 
descent is continuous, whether it be resisted or not. If re- 
sisted it cannot accumulate. Each momentary fall makes 
itself felt as weight by the resisting body; but these 
