LET. V. or THE SYSTEM OF DES CARTES. 77

chanics, yet their cause would be but littlebetter; for no such whirlpools have ever yetbeen shown to exist. It is not sufficient that anhypothesis accounts for the phænomena ; but itmust be shown that it is founded in fact, andsanctioned both by reason and experience.

To sum up the whole, it is easy to perceivewhat must happen to several fluids circulatingin contrary directions, and in opposition to oneanother. They would necessarily be confoundedtogether ; and instead of maintaining an orderand harmony in nature, would form a chaos,and introduce eternal anarchy and confusion.This alone would at once have exposed the Car-tesian system to the utmost ridicule, if a love ofnovelty, and an habitual disuse of free and im-partial enquiry, had not universally prevailed inthe world, and made way for its introduction.

This doctrine has been often altered, and va-riously mended, since it was first proposed byits author; and, for near a hundred years past,many ingenious men have been making theirutmost efforts to patch it up and support itscredit. But the foundation is too faulty; andthe whole superstructure so erroneous, that itwere much better to abandon the fabric, andsuffer the ruins to remain a memorial to pos-terity, of the folly of philosophical pride andpresumption.

It