Book IV. of Natural Philosophy . 269

ction of heavy Bodies from the centrifugal Force. 1372{Plate XXV. Fig. 7.) the Body A by its Gravitytends towards C, and is carried by its centrifugalForce along A b ; this Force at the Point A is tothe Gravity along A C as x to 430,8. having for-med a Parallelogram with the Sides A c and A b„supposing these to one another as 430,8. to 1, theDiagonal will shew the Direction of heavy Bo-dies*, forming a small Angle with the Line AC.* ^The Force along A b increases as you go towardsthe Equator, whereby this Angle is increas’d, butis diminish’d by the Increase of the Angle C A b-,so that in the Equator, where the centrifugalForce is greatest, the Direction of heavy Bodiescoincides with E C; at the Pole it coincides withP C, because there is no centrifugal Force there.

In this spheroidical Figure the Latitude of the 1373Place is determin’d by an Angle , as ACE, "which ismade with the Equator by a Line drawn from thePlace of the Center: Dividing this whole ArcPAE by this Method into 90 Parts, that is, intoDegrees, it will easily appear, that going towards 1374the Poles the Degrees are increased . on the Surface ;but this difference is so very small, that in mea-suring Degrees that are not very distant, it can-not be difcover’d ; because the Error, arisingfrom the Make and Use of the Instruments, ex-ceeds this difference; whence Degrees meafur’dat the South and North of France, as also in Eng-land, differ little from one another, and the mid- : ;die one is the least of all; wherefore nothing can 1375be concluded concerning the Earth’s Figure frotn theseMeasures.

C H A P.