174 The consequences of the

other: man would apply his little power tothe twenty-foot extremity to raise the weight

In speaking of these particulars of muscular motion, wZ*the great force exerted, and the narrow sphere it acts in(which are very certain circumstances) I refer to Bo'relli, as the most authentic writer. Yet he calls the chap'ter where he speaks of the causes of the contraction otthe muscles, Decausts prcbabilibus only; and in anothescase, he says, Fateor me non percipere mechanicham ratio'non, Zdc. as was cited just now. Here is no hypo the'sis obstinately defended. He proposes what he thin^probable; every one will do the fame. Sir If. NeuiWhath proposed his elastic Fluid to answer the fame appeal'ance. I compare this force to that of gun-powder, n° £by way of hypothesis, but to help myself, and oth er *like myself, to conceive the suddenness and strength 0the effect. Thus far the comparison serves; but in f e 'spect of the harmlessness of the force it haults. To *like purpose I make use of another rude comparisonthe lever immediately after, which indeed wants nn 1 ^indulgence. Why should our ignorance of what we kn°^not, hinder us to make a right use of what we kno^'When we consider that in every successive intumesoo0^of a muscle,there is a sudden explosion, as it were, wb e |^a certain matter is consumed (as, according to Bofd ’

I think the phænomenon of lassitude declares) and c0,1 _sider farther the quickness, theindefinence of this, as W ,one walks a whole day, or works at any hardWe Ihall hardly be able to help admiring the power,goodness, and (if one durst so express it after our mann

the pains the infinite God of nature is at

amm;

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tion.