360 Mr. Brougham’s Experiments and Observations 
at f y and the rays farthest from AB are reflected to r instead of 
to Vy where they fell when I Ffi was violet-making; not but 
that the same quantity of rays is reflected, the only difference 
is, that the most reflexible are reflected farthest from the body 
by their greater reflexibility, and farthest from each other by 
this other property. Exactly the same happens in the case of 
refraction, mutatis mutandis; but there seems to be a slight va- 
riation in the manner in which the different rays are disposed 
into images of different sizes by flexion. In this case also the 
bending body’s action reaches farther when exerted on some 
rays than when exerted on others : but then, the direction of 
the rays not passing through the body, those which are farthest 
off and at too great a distance to be bent, never coming nearer, are 
not bent at all ; and consequently as the least flexible rays are 
in this predicament at the smallest distance, and the most flex- 
ible not till the distance is greater, the images formed out of the 
former must be less than those formed out of the latter. This 
difference in the way in which the phaenomenon appears, does 
not argue the smallest difference in the cause : it only follows 
from the different position of the rays, with respect to the 
acting body, in the two cases. I infer then from the whole,, 
that different sorts of rays come within the spheres of 
flexion, reflexion, and refraction, at different distances, and 
that the actions of bodies extend farthest when exerted on the 
most flexible. It may perhaps be consistent with accuracy and 
convenience to give a name to this property of light ; we may, 
therefore, say that the rays of light differ in degree of refran- 
gity, reflexity, and flexity, comprehending inflexity and de- 
flexity. From these terms (uncouth as, like all new words, 
they at first appear) no confusion can arise, if we always re- 
