1753. Reply to Mr. HORNE about a PLENUM, &c. 281 To the AUTHOR of the LONDON SIR, T B HE learned Mr. Horne (fee p. 180.) having been fo kind as to take notice of, and anfwer the questions I stated in your Magazine for March last, p. 119, I hope you will allow me to A return him my thanks, which every gentleman deferves who endeavours to fatisfy the fcruples of another, tho' he may not entirely fucceed in the attempt. I confefs, I did not fuppofe, that in p. 60, of his ingenious performance, he meant to define rarer to be, confifting of particles of a smaller fixe; because, according to the meaning I have always put upon the word rarer, one fort of fluid may be rarer than another, and yet confift of particles of a larger fize; and if the conftituent particles of one fluid, or any other fort of matter, be smaller than the constituent particles of another fluid, I cannot look upon them to be the fame fort of fluid: They must be two diffe. C rent forts, even tho' mankind should give them the fame name; and how the conftituent particles of a fluid, or any other fort of matter, can of themselves become of a smaller or larger fize, I cannot conceive; for friction or internal motion never alters the conftituent parts of any fort of matter, but only feparates thofe parts which before adhered together: Nor D can I conceive, why a fluid of large conftituent particles fhould push hard against a fluid of fmall conftituent particles, if there be no interstitial vacuity in either; for if rarer be defined to be, confifting of particles of a fmaller fixe, denfer must be defined to be, confiting of particles of a larger fize, and both must be fuppofed to confift of fquare or cubical constituent E particles, which is contrary to the fuppofed nature of fluids, whofe constituent parts are generally supposed to be fpherical; and if they are, there must be an infinite number of interstitial vacuities, let their conftituent parts be never fo fmall. But indeed, if we admit thefe definitions, and infift that there are no interftitial vacuities in the universe, we should banish the words rarity and density out of our language with refpect to matter in general; for the matter in an exhausted receiver would be as denfe, as the matter in the fame receiver when full of gold; which no man can admit, who means to exprefs by the terms rarity and density, thofe ideas to which they have always hitherto been applied in our language. Whether fome forts of matter may not produce an effect without conta, is a June, 1753. F G question we cannot easily refolve, because the constituent parts of fome forts of matter may be endued with a repulfive force, and confequently may without contact act upon one another, and upon all parts of matter that come within the fphere of their repulfion. The conftituent parts of air feem to be endued with this repulfive force, which is the reason that air may be vaftly compreffed by a comprefive power that is fuperior to its power of repulfion; whereas, tho' water, may be rarified, it cannot by any human force be compreffed, or made to take up. lefs room than it does in its natural state; and yet there must be an infinite number of interftitial vacuities.in water, as must be allowed, because the rays of light find an easy paffage, and because water has always a certain quantity of air incorporated with it; confequently, thofe vacuities that are in water cannot be faid to be abfolute; but ftill there must be interstitial vacuities between the conftituent particles of that air and light, which are in the vacuities between the constituent particles of water; and thus we must either admit of abfolute interstitial vacuities in nature, or proceed in infinitum, by suppofing an infinite feries of different forts of fluids, every one of which consists of parts of a lefs fize than the former ; which is a fuppofition not at all neceffary for the effects we fee produced by matter; for no one fuppofes, that the air or light that are in the vacuities of water contribute any way towards producing those effects that are produced by a stream of water; nor is it fuppofed, that the light which is in the vacuities of air contribute any way towards producing those effects that are produced by a ftream of air, which we call wind, or a hurricane: And tho' that fubtle medium or fluid we call light, may have an infinite number of interftitial vacuities, tho' its conftituent parts may be indued with a repulfive force, fo as to be always in their natural ftate at a certain diftance from one another, yet it may produce all the effects we fee produced by it; confequently, for the production of thefe, or any other effects, there is no neceffity for fuppofing an univerfal abfolute plenum, without fo much as the leaft interftitial vacuity. That there is in nature a fluid much more fubtle than air, is very certain: That this fluid is the caufe of light, of heat, &c. is likewife very certain, therefore, for diftin&ion's foke, I shall call it æther; and it is probable, that by expe riments in electricity, we may difcover much more of its nature than has hitherto been known: But let its conflitut pa NA ucles 282 Subftance of his MAJESTY'S SPEECH. ticles be never fo fmall, there must be vacuities in nature; for let those parts be of what figure you will, they cannot abfolutely fill up that vacuity which we muft fuppofe to be between three fpherical particles of air or water; and if we fuppofe them alfo to be fpherical, there must be an infinite number of vacuities between themfelves, unless we fuppofe, as I have faid, another fort of fluid fill more fubtle to fill up those vacuities, and fo in infi nitum. June ticles be of a different fize and shape in fome forts of matter from what they are in others, there must be interstitial vacuities. The denying of this has led this learned gentleman into the neceffity of putting a different fenfe upon the words rarer and denfer, than is now ufually put A upon them, and in which, I believe, he will find very few followers; which is all from, Now that this fluid, which I have called æther, not only may, but must be rarer or denfer in fome parts of space than in others, is certain from the different degrees of light and heat, which we B perceive; that is to fay, that its conftituent parts must be at a greater distance from one another in fome places than in others; for that this is the fenfe in which I take the words rare or denfe, 1 fhall grant, and it is the fenfe I have always feen them taken in; and I have always thought, that the power of any fluid in motion depended upon its quantity as well as velocity; therefore, tho' I do not make denfe and powerful fynonymous terms, I muft think, that if the velocities be equal, a denfe fluid will be more pow erful than a rare one; and that the power of ether in motion depends upon its denfity, as well as velocity, is evident from the effects produced by a lens or D burning glais; for no one fuppofes, that the velocity of the rays of light is increafed by paffing thro' a lens, but only that they are colleâed together, and confequently rendered more denfe at the focus than in any other place, and therefore have at that place a much greater power than any where elfe. E From hence I muft fuppofe, that the electrical stream, the farther it moves from the electrified body, becomes not only the lefs rapid, but the more rare, that is to fay, its parts not only lose their motion by degrees, but become farther diftant from one another and if my learned friend defines denfer to be, corfifting of particles of a larger fize, I fhould F be glad to know how the constituent particles of the electrical ftream come to encrease their fize gradually as they move off from the electrified body. ; Upon the whole, whether there be in any part of infinite fpace a cubical inch of abfolute vacuum, is a queftion we cannot refolve; but that there must be an infinite number of interstitial vacuities, is, I think, evident from the nature of things; for tho' matter be divifible in infi. situm, we must come to conflituent parts or particles before we can form any idea of ster; and if thofe conflituent par G Oxford, May F #4, 1753. SIR, &c. Subflance of his Majesty's SPEECH at the Clofe of the Seffion, June 7, 1753. IRST he tells both houfes, that the feafon of the year was fo far advanced, and the bufinefs before them fo entirely finished, that it was neceffary to put an end to this feffion of parliament = That the zeal which they had fhewn for his perfon and government in all their proceedings, called for his fincere thanks; and that the care and affiduity they had exerted, in making fuch provisions as might advance the commerce of his fubjects; fupply and extend their manufactures, and put a stop to fome diforders that required reformation; were no lefs agreeable to him, than they were proofs of their prudence, in laying hold of this. time of tranquillity to make domestick improvements. That the state of foreign affairs had received no material alteration fince their meeting; and that they might depend on his fteadily purfuing the fame principles and ends, which he then declared to them: That to preferve the peace; to confult the real profperity of his people; and, at the fame time, to affert and maintain the honour and just rights of his crown and kingdoms; were the fixed objects of all his measures. Then he tells the commons, that in granting the supplies for the current year, they had equally fhewn their concern for the publick fervice, and their regard to the ease of their fellow fubjects. He thanks them for both; as well as for providing with fo much forefight, for the future augmentation of the finking fund. Then he concludes with thefe words to both houses: "I have nothing to defire of you, but what I am perfuaded you wish for yourselves. Do your utmost endeavours in your feveral countries, to promote the true intereft and happiness of my people; to propagate industry; and to preferve good order and regularity amongst them; make them fentible of the bleffings they enjoy; and, by thefa means, the quiet and fecurity of my government will be best established." T 1753. A QUESTION concerning the late Jews ACT. To the AUTHOR of the LONDON SIR, A B PON reading the A to permit Per- From the parliament's being fo careful June 19, 1753. I am, &c. To the PRINTER of the LONDON SIR. HE character of a gentleman I had a great efleem and friendship for E F G 283 when alive, and whofe memory 1. revere now dead, being attacked by an anonymous writer in your Magazine of March laft, (p. 118.) in that part which alone renders any character amiable, i. e. integrity and love of truth, which, fays the author," he had not fo good a title to, as the writer of his character allerts he had, but on the contrary it appears, in many inftances, he was notoriously want. ing in both;" and your faying that an anfwer, if fent, fhould be impartially published, have induced me to confider the evidence produced to fupport this heavy charge, which is introduced in this manner : The compafs of your paper will not allow me to produce many teftimonies, and, therefore, I thail at prefent mention only two: The first in or der of time is a quotation out of a fermon preached at Oxford, in 1711, by Ri. Ibbetson, A. M. The other is from the earl of Nottingham's Answer to Mr. Whifton's Letter to him; to thefe 1 refer." His inference from both is, "that thefe authors have fufficiently made good their charge against Mr. Whiston, which, with all Ms artifice and evafive shifts, he could never get clear of, and whofoever will be at the pains to perufe these two tracs will be fully convinced, that Mr. Whifton was not that true Chriftian, that man of integrity, that lover of truth, which he is faid to be in the abovementioned character." Thus ftands the evidence and the inference from it; and the amount is; Ri. Ibbetson has thewn, my lord Nottingham has faid, that Mr. Whifton, &c. To whom? To fuch as fee things in their light, and to none elfe; for the author will not furely fay, all that have read thefe authors are convinced. Laffure him I have read my lord Nottingham's Aufwer, (the other tract having never fallen under my notice) and am far from thinking his inference juft; and this I know to be the cafe of feveral others well ac quainted with the Greek tanguage, (which I am ret) and, probably, of thousands more, for any thing fewn to the contrary. Besides, all that have read controverfy know, nothing is more common than for each fide to charge the other with mitteprefenting, wrong tranflating, &c. and this is done by the authors under notice: Sce Mr. Whifton's Reply to my lord Nottingham's Letter, p. 19, &c. Mr. Whitton fays he has been fair in his quotations, as far as they related to the particular part of the controverly they are brought to fupport, p. 21, of his Reply, and that my lord Nottingham has not, p. 13, 14, 15, and particularly, p. 19: And upon the author's principles, Nn 2. T the 13 Gen. II. 284 A Letter in Defence of Mr. Whiton's Character. June the charge against my lord Nottingham's character will be the fame as his against Mr. Whiton's. From hence he muft appear very unfair himself, to condemn (and endeavour to lead others to do the fame) a venerable and valuable character only by the evidence of his adverfaries; of fincerity (if more is thought neceffary) appears in his conduct, upon receiving a letter at Tunbridge, as the whole is publifhed to the world: And fince this author grounds his charge only upon the general accufation of two of his antago nifts, writing in the heat of controverfy, whereas he ought to have defired (as I AI think much greater weight thould be fincerely do) all to read both fides before they come to a determination. Without confidering any thing farther, is, cr has been the cafe, none can doubt laid on a teftimony in his favour from an The * See more in defence of his character, in our Mag. for April haft. p. 157 ; and for May, 225, 226. Who has e'er been at Baldock muft needs know the mill, At the fign of the Horfe at the foot of the hill; Where the grave and the gay, the clown and the f beau, With-out all diftinction pro-mifcuously go : Piano Forte Where the grave and the gay, the clown and the beau, With- :S: out all diftinction pro-mifcuously go. 2. |