15

Of the Properties of Bodies.

endeavour to assign by what may be dis-covered by Reason and Experiment. Tothis End we must consider, that any Kindof Power or Virtue , proceeding or propagatedfrom a Body in Right Lines every Way asfrom a Centre , mujl decrease in its Energy orStrength as the Squares of the Distances fromthe Body increase ; for ’tis evident, the Forcewill be every where as the Number of Par-ticles issuing from the central Body on agiven Space, which Number of Particleswill decrease as the Squares of the Distancesincrease. Thus the Number of Particleswhich at one Distance AB, from a Point inthe Body at A, falls on a Square Inch BEFG,will be four times as great as the Numberwhich falls on a Square Inch CHIK attwice that Distance AC; and nine times asgreat as the Number which falls on thesquare Inch DLMN at three times that Di-stance AD; and so on, as is evident fromthe Diagram.

Hence, since we have no Reason todoubt but that all Kinds of Attraction con-sist in fine imperceptible Particles or invi-sible Effluvia, which proceed from everyPoint in the Surface of the attracting Body,in all right-lined Directions every way,which in their Progress lighting on other

Bodies

Platelll.

Fig- I.