The

with the greater eafe. Thus dwarft, they extend Coffer. their branches fo, that they cover the whole fpot round about them. They begin to yield fruit the third year, but are not in full bearing till the fifth. With the fame infirmities that most other trees are fubject to, thefe are likewife in danger of being deftroyed by a worm or by the fcorching rays of the fun. hills where the coffee-trees are found have generally a gravelly or chalky bottom. In the laft, it languishes for fome time and then dies: in the former, its roots, which feldom fail of ftriking between ftones, obtain nourishment, and keep the tree alive and fruitful for 30 years. This is nearly the period for plants of the coffee-tree. The proprietor, at the end of this period, not only finds himself without trees, but has his land reduced, that it is not fit for any kind of culture; and unless he is fo fituated, that he can break up a spot of virgin land, to make himself amends for that which is totally exhaufted by the coffee-trees, his lofs is irreparable.

Coffea. horizontally and oppofite, croffing each other at every 'joint; fo that every fide of the tree is fully garnished with them, and they form a fort of pyramid. The leaves alfo ftand oppofite; and when fully grown are about four or five inches long, and two broad in the middle, decreafing toward each end; the borders are waved, and the furface is of a lucid green. The flowers are produced in clusters at the root of the leaves, fitting close to the branches; they are tubulous, and fpread open at the top, where they are divided into five parts; they are of a pure white, and have a very grateful odour, but are of fhort duration. The fruit, which is the only useful part, resembles a cherry. It grows in clusters, and is ranged along the branches under the axillae of the leaves, of the fame green as the laurel, but fomething longer. When it comes to be of a deep red, it is gathered for the mill, in order to be manufactured into thofe coffee-beans now fo generally known. The mill is compofed of two wooden rollers furnished with iron plates 18 inches long, and 10 or 12 in diameter. These moveable rollers are made to approach a third which is fixed, and which they call the chops. Above the rollers is a hopper, in which they put the coffee, from whence it falls between the rollers and the chops, where it is stripped of its first fkin, and divided into two parts, as may be seen by the form of it after it has undergone this operation; being flat on the one fide and round on the other. From this machine it falls into a brafs fieve, where the skin drops between the wires, while the fruit flides over them into baskets placed ready to receive it: it is then thrown into a veffel full of water, where it foaks for one night, and is afterwards thoroughly washed. When the whole is finished, and well dried, it is put into another machine called the peeling-mill. This is a wood en grinder, turned vertically upon its trendle by a mule or horfe. In paffing over the coffee it takes off the parchment, which is nothing but a thin fkin that detaches itself from the berry in proportion as it grows dry. The parchment being removed, it is taken out of this mill to be put into another, which is called the winnowing-mill. This machine is provided with four pieces of tin fixed upon an axle, which is turned by a flave with confiderable force; and the wind that is made by the motion of these plates clears the coffee of all the pellicles that are mixed with it. It is after wards put upon a table, where the broken berries, and any filth that may remain among them, are feparated by negroes, after which the coffee is fit for fale.

The coffee-tree is cultivated in Arabia, Perfia, the Eaft Indies, the Ifle of Bourbon, and feveral parts of America. It is also raised in botanic gardens in feveral parts of Europe. Prince Eugene's garden at Vienna produced more coffee than was fufficient for his own confumption. It delights particularly in hills and mountains, where its root is almoft always dry, and its head frequently watered with gentle fhowers. It prefers a weltern afpect, and ploughed ground without any appearance of grafs. The plants fhould be placed at eight feet diftance from each other, and in holes twelve or fifteen inches deep. If left to themfelves, they would rife to the height of 16 or 18 feet, as already obferved; but they are generally ftinted to five, for the conveniency of gathering their fruit

The coffee produced in Arabia is found fo greatly to excel that raised in the American plantations or elsewhere, that the cultivation of the tree is now but feldom practifed in any of the British colonies. Large plantations of this kind were formerly made in fome of them; and it was proposed to the parliament to give a proper encouragement for cultivating this commodity there, fo as to enable the planters to underfell the importers from Arabia. Accordingly, there was an abatement of the duty payable on all coffee imported from our colonies in America, which at that time was fuppofed to be fufficient encouragement for this kind of commerce; but the inferiority of the American coffee to the Arabian hath almost ruined the project. Mr Miller propofes fome improvements in the method of cultivation. According to him, the trees are planted in too moift a foil, and the berries are gathered too foon. They ought, he fays, to be permitted to remain on the trees till their fkins are Thrivelled, and they fall from the trees when fhaken. This will indeed greatly diminish their weight, but the value of the commodity will thereby be increased to more than double of that which is gathered fooner. In Arabia, they always shake the berries off the trees, fpreading cloths to receive them, and only take fuch as readily fall at each time. Another cause may be the method of drying the berries. They are, he ob ferves, very apt to imbibe moisture, or the flavour of anything placed near them. A bottle of rum placed in a clofet, in which a canister of coffee-berries closely ftopped was ftanding on a fhelf at a confiderable diftance, in a few days fo impregnated the berries as to render them very difagreeable: the fame hath alfo happened by a bottle of spirit of wine ftanding in the fame clofet with coffee and tea, both which were in a few days fpoiled by it. Some years ago, a coffeefhip from India had a few bags of pepper put on board, the flavour of which was imbibed by the coffee, and the whole cargo fpoiled. For thefe reafons, Mr Miller directs that coffee-berries fhould never be brought over in fhips freighted with rum, nor laid to dry in the houfes where fugars are boiled or rum diftilled. When they are fully ripe, they should be fhaken off when the trees are perfectly dry, and fpread upon cloths in the fun to dry, carrying them every evening

under

Coffee. under cover, to prevent the dews or rain from falling on them. When perfectly dry, they fhould have their outer skins beaten off, and then be carefully packed up in cloths or bags three or four times double.

The coffee-tree, as we have already obferved, is fometimes cultivated in European gardens; but for this it requires the affiftance of a ftove. It makes a fine appearance at all feafons of the year (being an evergreen), but especially when in flower, and when the berries are red, which is generally in the winter, fo that they continue a long time in that ftate. It is propagated from the berries; but they must be planted immediately when gathered from the tree, for they lofe their vegetative quality in a very short time: when fent abroad by the poft, they have conftantly failed in thofe that have been a fortnight on their journey; fo that where thefe trees are defired, the young plants must be sent, if it be at any distance from the place where they grow. The freth berries may be planted in fmall pots, and plunged into a hot-bed of tanners bark. If the bed be of a proper temperature, the young plants will appear in a month or five weeks time; and in fix weeks more, will be ready for tranfplanting into feveral pots. During fummer, they muft be frequently watered; but not in too great plenty, otherwife the roots will be apt to rot. The firft fign of the plants being difordered is their leaves fweating out a clammy juice; after which they are over-run with infects, that cannot be deftroyed till the plants have recovered their health; fo that on the first appearance of thefe infects, the trees fhould be removed into fresh earth, and all poffible care taken to recover them. The diforders incident to them, generally proceed either from their having been put into large pots, or from the earth about them being too ftiff or overwatered. The most proper foil for them is that of a kitchen-garden, which is naturally loofe, and not fubject to bind, especially if it has conftantly been well wrought and dunged.

COFFEE alfo denotes a kind of drink, prepared from those berries; very familiar in Europe for thefe 100 years, and among the Turks for 170.

Its original is not well known. Some afcribe it to the prior of a monaftery; who being informed by a goat-herd, that his cattle fometimes browzing on the tree would wake and caper all night, became curious to prove its virtue : accordingly, he firft tried it on his monks, to prevent their fleeping at matins. Others, from Sehehabeddin, refer the invention of coffee to the Perfians: from whom it was learned in the 15th century by Gemaleddin, mufti of Aden, a city near the mouth of the red fea; and who having tried its virtues himself, and found that it diffipated the fumes which oppreffed the head, infpired joy, opened the bowels, and prevented fleep, without being incommoded by it, recommended it first to his dervifes, with whom he used to spend the night in prayer. Their example brought coffee into vogue at Aden; the profeffors of the law for ftudy, artifans to work, travellers to walk in the night, in fine every body at Aden, drank coffee. Hence it paffed to Mecca; where first the devotees, then the reft of the people, took it. From Arabia Felix it paffed to Cairo. In 1511, Kahie Beg prohibited it, from a perfuafion that it inebriated, and inclined to things forbidden. But

Sultan Caufou immediately after took off the prohibi- Coffee. tion; and coffee advanced from Egypt to Syria and Conftantinople. The dervifes declaimed against it from the Alcoran, which declares, that coal is not of the number of things created by God for food. Accordingly, the mufti ordered the coffee-houfes to be fhut; but his fucceffor declaring coffee not to be coal, they were again opened. During the war in Candia, the affemblies of news-mongers making too free with ftate affairs, the grand vifir Cuproli fuppreffed the coffee-houfes at Conftantinople: which fuppreffion, though ftill on foot, does not prevent the public use of the liquor there. Thevenot, the traveller, waa the first who brought it into France; and a Greek fervant, named Pafqua, brought into England by Mr Dan. Edwards, a Turky merchant, in 1652, to make his coffee, firft fet up the profeffion of coffee-man, and introduced the drink into this island.

The word coffee is originally Arabic: the Turks pronounce it cabeuh, and the Arabians cahuah; which fome authors maintain to be a general name for any thing that takes away the appetite, others for any thing that promote appetite, and others again for any thing that gives ftrength and vigour.-The Mahometans, it is obferved, diftinguifh three kinds of cabuch. The first is wine, or any liquor that inebriates: the fecond is made of the pods that contain the coffee-berry; this they call the Sultan's coffee, from their having firft introduced it on account of its heating less than the berry, as well as its keeping the bowels open the third is that made with the berry itfelf, which alone is used in Europe, the pods being found improper for transportation. Some Europeans who imported the pods called them the flower of the coffee-tree. The deep brown colour of the liquor occafioned its being called fyrup of the Indian mulberry, under which specious name it firft gained ground in Europe.

The preparation of coffee confifts in roafting, or giving it a juft degree of torrefaction on an earthen or metalline plate, till it have acquired a brownish hue equally deep on all fides. It is then ground in a mill, as much as ferves the prefent occafion. A proper quantity of water is next boiled, and the ground coffee put into it. After it has juft boiled, it is taken from the fire, and the decoction having ftood a while to fettle and fine, they pour or decant it into difhes. The ordinary method of roafting coffee amongft us is in a tin cylindrical box full of holes, through the middle whereof runs a fpit: under this is a femicircular hearth, whereon is a large charcoal-fire: by help of a jack the fpit turns fwift, and fo roafts the berry ; being now and then taken up to be fhaken. When the oil rifes, and it is grown of a dark brown colour, it is emptied into two receivers made with large hoops, whofe bottoms are iron plates: there the coffee is fhaken, and left till almoft cold; and if it look bright and oily, it is a fign it is well done.

Very different accounts have been given of the medicinal qualities of this berry. To determine its real effects on the human body, Dr Percival has made feveral experiments, the refult of which he gives in the following words: "From thefe obfervations we may EJ, infer, that coffee is flightly aftringent, and antifeptic; Vol. II. that it moderates alimentary termentation, and is p. 127. powerfully fedative. Its action on the nervous fyftem Q 2

pro

Coffee, probably depends on the oil it contains; which reCoffer. ceives its flavour, and is rendered mildly empyreu matic, by the procefs of roafting. Neumann obtained by distillation from one pound of coffee, five ounces five drachms and a half of water, fix ounces and half a drachm of thick fetid oil, and four ounces and two drachms of a caput mortuum. And it is well known, that rye, torrefied with a few almonds, which furnish the neceffary proportion of oil, is now frequently employed as a fubftitute for thefe berries.

"The medicinal qualities of coffee seem to be derived from the grateful sensation which it produces in the ftomach, and from the fedative powers it exerts on the vis vite. Hence it affifts digeftion, and relieves the headach; and is taken in large quantities, with peculiar propriety, by the Turks and Arabians; because it counteracts the narcotic effects of opium, to the ufe of which thofe nations are much addicted.

"In delicate habits, it often occalions watchfulness, tremors, and many of thofe complaints which are denominated nervous. It has been even fufpected of producing palfies; and from my own obfervation, I hould apprehend, not entirely without foundation. Slare affirms, that he became paralytic by the too liberal use of coffee, and that his diforder was removed by abtinence from that liquor.

"The following curious and important obfervation is extracted from a letter with which I was honoured by Sir John Pringle, in April 1773: "On reading your fection concerning coffee, one quality occurred to me which I had obferved of that liquor, confirming what you have faid of its fedative virtues. It is the best abater of the paroxyfms of the periodic allhma that I have feen. The coffee ought to be of the best Mocco, newly burnt, and made very ftrong immediately after grinding it. I have commonly ordered an ounce for one dish; which is to be repeated fresh after the interval of a quarter or half an hour; and which I direct to be taken without milk or fugar. The medicine in general is mentioned by Mulgrave, in his treatife De arthritide anomala: but I first heard of it from a phyfician in this place, who having once practifed it in Litchfield, had been informed by the old people of that place, that Sir John Floyer, during the latter of his life, kept free from, or at least year lived eafy under, his afthma, from the fe of very ftrong coffee. This difcovery, it seems, he made after the publication of his book upon that difcafe." Since the receipt of that letter, I have frequently directed coffee in the afthma with great fuccefs."

COFFER, in architecture, a fquare depreffure or finking in each interval between the modillions of the Corinthian cornice; ordinarily filled up with a rofe; fometimes with a pomegranate, or other enrichment.

COFFER, in fortification, denotes a hollow lodgement, athwart a dry moat, from 6 to 7 feet deep, and from 16 to 18 broad; the upper part made of pieces of timber raised two feet above the level of the moat; which little elevation has hurdles laden with earth for its covering, and ferves as a parapet with embrafures: the coffer is nearly the fame with the caponiere, excepting that this laft is fometimes made beyond the counterfcarp on the glacis; and the coffer always in the moat taking up its whole breadth, which the caponiere does not. It differs from the

COFFERER of the KING'S HOUSEHOLD, a principal officer in the court, next under the comptroller. He was likewife a white ttaff officer, and always a member of the privy council. He had a special charge and overfight of the other officers of the house hold. He paid the wages of the king's fervants below stairs, and for provifions as directed by the board of green cloth. This office is now fuppreffed, and the business of it is tranfacted by the lord theward, and pay.natter of the boulehold. He had L. 100 a-year wages, and L. 400 a-year board-wages.

COFFIN, the cheft in which dead bodies are put into the ground.

The fepulchral honours paid to the manes of departed friends in ancient times, demand attention, and are extremely curious. Their being put into a coffia has been particularly confidered as a mark of the higheft diftinction. With us the poorest people have their coffins. If the relations cannot afford them, the parish is at the expence. On the contrary, in the eat they are not at all made use of in our times; Turks and Chriftians, as Thevenot affures us, agree in this. The ancient Jews feem to have buried their dead in the fame manner: neither was the body of our Lord, it should feem, put into a coffin; nor that of Elifha, 2 Kings xiii. 21, whose bones were touched by the corpfe that was let down a little after into his fepulchre. However, that they were anciently made ufe of in Egypt, all agree; and antique coffins of stone, and fycomore-wood, are ftill to be feen in that country; not to mention thofe faid to be made of a kind of pafleboard; formed by folding or glueing cloth together a great many times, curioully pla.tered, and then printed with hieroglyphics. Its being an ancient Egyptian cultom, and not practifed in the neighbouring countries, were, doubtlefs, the caufe that the facred hiftorian exprefsly obferves of Jofeph, that he was not only embalmed, but put into a coffin too both being managements peculiar to the Egyptians. Bishop Patrick, in his commentary on this paffage, takes notice of thefe Egyptian coffins of fycamore wood, and of pafteboard; but he doth not mention the contrary ufage in the neighbouring countries, which was requifite, one might fuppofe, in order fully to illuftrate the place: but even this perhaps would not have conveyed the whole idea of the facred author. Maillet apprehends that all were not inclofed in coffins who were laid in the Egyptian repofitories of the dead; but that it was an honour appropriated to perfons of figure: for after having given an account of several riches found in thofe chambers of death, he adds †," But it must not be imagined that ↑ Let. vi the bodies depofited in thefe gloomy apartments were p. 281. all inclofed in chefs, and placed in niches. The greateft part were, fimply embalmed and fwathed after that manner which every one hath fome notion of; after which they laid them one by the fide-of another without any ceremony. Some were even laid

* Gen. 1.26.

in these tombs without any embalming at all; or fuch a flight one, that there remains nothing of them in the linen in which they were wrapped, but the bones, and those half rotten. It is probable, that each confiderable family had one of thefe burial-places to themselves; that the niches were defigned for the bodies of the heads of the families; and that thofe of their domestics or flaves had no other care taken of them than the laying them on the ground, after having been embalmed, or even without that; which, without doubt, was alfo all that was done even to the heads of families of lefs diftinction." After this he gives an account of a way of burial, practifed anciently in that country, which had been but lately difcovered; and which confitted in placing the bodies, after they were fwathed, upon a layer of charcoal, and covering them with a mat, under a depth of fand of feven or eight feet.

That coins then were not univerfally ufed in Egypt, is undoubted from these accounts; and probably they were only perfons of distinction who were buried in them. It is alfo reafonable to believe, that in times fo remote as that of Jofeph, they might be much less common than afterwards; and confequently, that Jofeph's being put in a coffin in Egypt might be mentioned with a design to express the great honours which the Egyptians did him at his death, as well as in life, being interred after the moft fumptuous man ner of the Egyptians, embalmed, and put into a coffin. Agreeably to this, the Septuagint verfion, which was made for Egyptians, feems to reprefent coffins as a mark of grandeur. Job xxi. 32.

86 or

It is no objection to this account, that the widow of Nain's fon is reprefented as carried forth to be buried in a σoç, on a bier" for the prefent inhabitants of the Levant, who are well known to lay their dead bodies in the earth uninclofed, carry them frequently out to burial in a kind of coffin. So Dr Ruffel, in particular, defcribes the bier used for the Turks at Aleppo, as a kind of coffin much in the form of ours, only that the lid rifes with a ledge in the middle. Chriftians, indeed, as he tells us, are carried to the grave on an open bier: but as the most common kind of bier refembles our coffins, that used by the people of Nain might very poflibly be of the fame kind; in which cafe the word og was very proper.

COGGLE, or CoG, a fmall fishing-boat upon the coats of Yorkshire: and cogs (cogones) are a kit of little ships or veffels ufed in the rivers Oufe and Humber; (Stat. 23. H. VIII. c. 18.) Preparatis cogonibus, galleis, & aliis navibus, &c. (Mat. París. ann. 1066.) And hence the cogmen, boatmen, and feamen, who after fhipwreck or loffes by fea travelled and wandered about to defraud the people by begging and ftealing, until they were restrained by proper laws.

COGITATION, a term ufed by fome for the act of thinking.

COGNAC, a town of France in Angoumois, with a castle, where Francis I. was born. It is feated on the river Charante, in a very pleafant country, abounding in wine, and remarkable for excellent brandy. W. Long. o. 10. N. Lat. 45. 42.

COGNATE, in Scots law, any male relation thro' the mother.

COGNATION, in the civil law, a term for that Cognation line of confanguinity which is between males and females, both defcended from the fame father; as agnation is for the line of parentage between males only defcended from the fame flock.

COGNI, an ancient and ftrong town of Caramania in Turky in Afia, and the refidence of a beglerbeg. It is feated in a pleafant country, abounding in corn, fruits, pulfe, and cattle. Here are fheep whofe tails weigh 30 pounds. E. Long. 32. 56. N. Lat. 37. 56. COGNITIONIS CAUSA, in Scots law. When a creditor charges the heir of his debtor to enter, in order to conftitute the debt against him, and the heir renounces the fucceffion, the creditor can obtain no decreet of conftitution of that debt against the heir; but only a decreet fubjecting the hereditas jacens, or the eftate which belonged to the debtor, to his dili gence and this is called a decreet cognitionis caufa.

COGNIZANCE, or CONNUSANCE, in law, has divers fignifications. Sometimes it is an acknowledgement of a fine, or confeflion of something done; fometimes the hearing of a matter judicially, as to take cognizance of a caule; and fometimes a particular jurifdiction, as cognizance of pleas is an authority to call a caufe or plea out of another court, which no perfou can do but the king, except he can flow a charter for it. This cognizance is a privilege granted to a city or a town to hold plea of all contracts, &e. within the liberty; and if any one is impleaded for fuch matters in the courts at Westminster, the mayor, Er. of fuch franchife may demand cognizance of the plea, and that it may be determined before them.

COGNIZANCE is alfo ufed for a badge on a waterman's or ferving-man's fleeve, which is commonly the giver's creft, whereby he is decerned to belong to this or that nobleman or gentleman.

COGS. See COGGLE.

COHABITATION, denotes the flate of a man and a woman who live together without being legally married. By the common law of Scotland, cohabitation for year and day, or a complete twelvemonth, is deemed equivalent to matrimony,

CO-HEIR, one who fucceeds to a fhare of an inheritance, to be divided among several.

COHESION, one of the four species of attraction, denoting that force by which the parts of bodies adhere or tick together.

Cohesion.

I

an effential

property of

2

This power was firit confidered by Sir Ifaac New- Confidered ton as one of the properties effential to all matter, and by sir itaac the caufe of all that variety we obferve in the texture Newton as of different terreftrial bodies. He did not, however, abfolutely determine that the power of cohefion was matter. an immaterial one; but thought it might poffibly arife, as well as that of gravitation, from the action of an ether. His account of the original conftitution of mat- His account ter is as follows: It feems probable, that God in the of the oribeginning formed matter in folid, maffy, impenetrable, ginal con moveable particles; of fuch fizes, figures, and other properties, and in fuch proportion to space, as moit conduced to the end for which he formed them: and that thefe primitive particles being folid, are incomparably harder than any porous bodies compofed of them; even fo very hard as never to wear or break in pieces; no ordinary power being able to divide what God himself made one at the firit creation. While the

ftitution of

matter.

flections of the rays of light; the rays being repelled Cohefior, by bodies in both thefe cafes without the immediate contact of the reflecting or inflecting body. The fame thing feems alfo to follow from the emiffion of light; a ray, as foon as shaken off from a body by the vibrating motion of the parts of the body, and got beyond the reach of attraction, being driven away with exceeding great velocity: for that force which is fufficient to turn it back in reflection may be fufficient to emit it. From the fame repelling power it seems to be that flies walk upon the water without wetting their feet; that the object-glaffes of long telefcopes lie upon one another without touching; and that dry powders are difficultly made to touch one another so as to flick together, without melting them or wetting them with water, which, by exhaling, may bring them together.

Cohesion, the particles continue entire, they may compofe bodies of one and the fame nature and texture in all ages; but fhould they wear away, or break in pieces, the nature of all things depending on them would be changed. Water and earth compofed of old worn particles and fragments of particles, would not now be of the fame texture with water and earth compofed of entire particles in the beginning. And therefore, that nature may be lafting, the changes of corporeal things are to be placed in the various feparations and new affociations and motions of these permanent particles; compound bodies being apt to break, not in the midft of folid particles, but where thefe particles are laid together, and touch in a few points." It feems farther, "That these particles have not only a vis inertia, accompanied with fuch paffive laws of motion as natu. rally refult from that force; but also that they are moved by certain active principles, fuch as that of gravity, and that which caufeth fermentation and the cohefion of bodies. Thefe principles are to be confidered not as occult qualities, fuppofed to refult from the fpecific forms of things, but as general laws of nature by which the things themselves are formed; their truth appearing to us by phenomena, though their caufe is not yet difcovered."

Attraction

ture.

The general law of nature, by which all the diffethe general rent bodies in the univerfe are compofed, according law of na- to Sir Ifaac Newton, is that of attraction: i. e. "Every particle of matter has an attractive force, or a tendency to every other particle; which power is ftrongest in the point of contact, and fuddenly decreases, infomuch that it acts no more at the leaft fenfible distance; and at a greater distance is converted into a repellent force, whereby the [parts fly from each other. On this principle of attraction may we account for the cohesion of bodies, otherwife inexplicable.

of different fizes.

Formation "The smallest particles may cohere by the ftrongof particles eft attractions, and compofe bigger particles of weaker virtue; and many of thefe may cohere, and compofe bigger particles, whofe virtue is ftill lefs; and fo on for divers fucceffions, until the progreffion end in the biggest particles, on which the operations in chemistry, and the colours of natural bodies, depend; and which, by cohering, compofe bodies of a fenfible magnitude. Diftinction If the body is compact, and bends or yields inward to of bodies preffure without any fliding of its parts, it is hard and into hard, elaftic; returning to its figure with a force arifing foft, humid, from the mutual attraction of its parts. If the parts &c. flide from one another, the body is malleable or foft. If they flip easily, and are of a fit fize to be agitated by heat, and the heat is great enough to keep them in agitation, the body is fluid; and if it be apt to ftick to things, it is humid; and the drops of every fluid affect a round figure by the mutual attractions of their parts, as the globe of the earth and fea affects a round figure from the mutual attraction and gravity of its parts.

6

Existence

"Since metals diffolved in acids attract but a small quantity of the acid, their attractive force reaches but to a fmall distance. Now, as in algebra, where afof repulfive firmative quantities ceafe, their negative ones begin; power pro- fo in mechanics, where attraction ceafes, there a reved. pulfive virtue muft fucceed. That there really is fuch à virtue feems to follow from the reflections and in

"The particles of all hard homogeneous bodies which touch one another, cohere with a great force : to account for which, fome philofophers have recourfe to a kind of hooked atoms, which in effect is nothing elfe but to beg the queftion. Others imagine, that the particle of bodies are connected by rest, i. e. in effeet by nothing at all; and others, by confpiring motions, i. e. by a relative rest among themfelves. For myself, it rather appears to me, that the particles of bodies cohere by an attractive force, whereby they tend mutually to each other."

*

7

be drawn

account.

Hift. of Vifion, vol. i.

8

From this account of the formation and conftitution No conof bodies, we can conclude nothing, except that they clufion to are composed of an infinite number of little particles, from this kept together by a force or power; but of what nature that power is, whether material or immaterial, we must remain ignorant till farther experiments are made. Some of the Newtonian philofophers, however, have pofitively determined thefe powers to be immaterial. In confequence of this fuppofition, they have fo refined upon attractions and repulfions, that their fyftems feem not far from downright scepticism, or denying the existence of matter altogether. A fyftem of this kind we find adopted by Dr Priestley from Meffrs Bofcovich and Michell, in order to folve fome difficulties concerning the Newtonian doctrine of P. 392. light. "The eafieft method (fays he) of folving all Mr Midifficulties, is to adopt the hypothefis of Mr Bofcovich, chell's hywho fuppofes that matter is not impenetrable, as has potefis a dopted by been perhaps univerfally taken for granted; but that Dr Prictit confifts of phyfical points only, endued with powers ley. of attraction and repulfion in the fame manner as folid matter is generally fuppofed to be: provided therefore that any body move with a fufficient degree of velocity, or have a fufficient momentum to overcome any powers of repulfion that it may meet with, it will find no difficulty in making its way through any body whatever; for nothing elfe will penetrate one another but powers, fuch as we know do in fact exift in the fame place, and counterbalance or over-rule one another. The most obvious difficulty, and indeed almost the only one that attends this hypothefis, as it fuppofes the mutual penetrability of matter, arifes from the idea of the nature of matter, and the diffi- Bodies opculty we meet with in attempting to force two bodies pofe each into the fame place. But it is demonftrable that the from acfirft obftruction arises from no actual contact of mat-tual conter, but from mere powers of repulfion. This diffi- tact. culty

other not