still be t ^ ie same on each side of it; b e 
cause, although the force of attraction 
would he diminished on one side by 
distance/and increased on the other by 
proximity; yet the quantity of matter 
subtending any given solid angle on the 
distant side, would be increased in the 
same proportion, in which its attraction 
would be diminished, and would there¬ 
fore still possess the same aggregate force; 
and on the other side, the quantity of mat¬ 
ter subtending a given solid angle, would 
be diminished in proportion as its attrac¬ 
tion was increased by proximity, and 
would therelore still remain the same in 
its aggregate power on the particle. Any 
thing situated on the inner concave sur¬ 
face, would therefore possess no weight 
at all: but in passing out through the 
shell, it would gradually acquire weight, 
and on the external surface would be 
drawn inwards by all the force of attrac¬ 
tion in the whole shell. 
Suppose then, that a hole is made 
through the shell to the inside, or that 
its substance is porous—what must be 
the consequence ? All the water on the 
outside would immediatelyrun in through 
the hole, or gradually filter through the 
pores, just as certainly as we now see it 
soak into the earth or fall to the bottom 
of a well. The Atlantic and Pacific 
oceans would immediately run into the 
interior cavity by the supposed openings 
at the poles. Besides, if the shell be com¬ 
posed of loose earth and rocks throughout, 
what shall prevent it from breaking in 
by the pressure of its own weight? ° 
But suppose we give the shell a rotato¬ 
ry motion on its axis, the centrifugal ef- 
fect of which at the equator would be 
sufficient to counter-balance the gravita¬ 
tion, or to uphold the arch and keep the 
iiUlQS On flip nnrl - 
