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Chap. i. PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOVERIES.

and to the old maxim ascribed lo Hermes* ^ and approved by theobservation and judgment os the best philosophers, " Thatwhat pastes in the heavens above is similar and analogous towhat pastes on the earth below.” He had found that allbodies gravitated towards each other, by a power that acts onall their particles equally at equal distances, and increases ac-cording to a stated law when die distance is diminished. Froma like principle, acting at less distances, with greater vigour,and with more variety, but insensibly at larger distances, hesuspected that the more abstruse phænomena os nature pro-ceeded. It was a great matter in philosophy to be secure ofone general principle ; and one was sufficient for carrying onthe regular motions of the heavenly bodies. A greater varietywas necessary for conducting the different operations of naturein particular parts ; and these being, involved in some oh-seurity, till better light should appear, he could find no surerground on which to sound a judgment os them, than thatprinciple he had already shewn to take place in nature. Butbecause we often sind that phænomena, which, at first sight,appear of a very different sort, stow nevertheless from the samecause, and several such causes are often resolved, on farther en-quiry, into one more general principle; the whole constitutionof nature (notwithstanding the variety os appearances) mani-festly leading to one supreme cause ; this- great philosopher washence induced, as well as from several observations he had made,to think that all these powers might proceed from one generalinstrument or agent, as. various branches from one great stem^whose efficacy might be resolved more immediately into thedirection or influences of the sovereign cause that rules the

*A principle not unlike this is ascribed to.the Persian and Chaldean magi,.crup.TaCy|'(7-jcu rd ci-ju ro7; xarj,-. Pse'l. Declaratio dogmas. Chaldaic tho’ this, as othermaxims, was much abused-in progress of lime, when-philosopher?degenerated fromtheir first simplicity.

universe,.

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