a plenum all the particles would be perfectly coherent or contiguous to each other, yet their coherency or contiguity would not be the effect of the attraction of the particles, but of something else, namely, immaterial impulse ab extra. The principal essential property of matter, which is to resist all change of its pre`sent state of rest or motion, is absolutely inconsistent with the idea of matter's attracting matter: for, since a particle of matter, from its vis inertia, cannot possibly change its own state of rest or motion, it must be absolutely impossible, that it should change the state of rest or motion of an extraneous particle.
"To go still farther, if matter should be supposed unresisting, that is, deprived of its vis inertia, that it would be still more unfavourable to the Newtonian principle, that matter attracts matter, may be easily demonstrated. Hence, let the Newtonians no more pretend to account for the various phenomena of nature by their favourite principle, till they refute these arguments and many more ready to be adduced. ANONYMOUS."
HARTFORD, JANUARY 23, 1792.
"Lo ECHO from her solemn sounding shell,
"Again strikes up the philosophic knell !
"While borne along the whispering tide of air,
"The ghost of Genius seems to stop, and stare."
DEAR Messrs. Green, with diffidence extreme,
I ask a corner for my humble theme,
In your most useful paper, which appears
Το grow in wonder, as it grows in years,
(How much more pleasing than that hackney'd road
By other papers, and by Nature, trod;
For Wonderment, like Love, delights to spread
Her airy phantoms round the youthful head,
But soon retires, when Age's wint'ry snow,
Sheds its white honours o'er the wrinkled brow.)
'Twill, kind as dews on Hermon that distil,
One reader's breast with sweet sensations thrill.
In rich manure the seeds of knowledge sow,
And, like a hot-bed, make reflection grow
THAT Matter's chain'd to Matter-seems to be
The underpinning of philosophy
By Newton taught the wonder-working sage,
With this idea blotted many a page ;
This favourite truth the wizard thought he found
On sea, and land, above and under ground-
A kind of cord of love, more strong than leather,
Which ties bears, snakes, and owls, and men toge-
ther-
A sort of yoke, how strange so'er it seem,
That makes creation one stupendous team.
But to those souls who'll condescend to list,
I'll prove this principle did ne'er exist,
And never will—Nay more-with all their clatter,
I'll prove that Matter never heard of Matter.
If Matter is by Matter still attracted,
This only proves that Matter is distracted,
Or else this self-same Matter must act most
Where Matter, motion, time, and space are lost.
But that dame Nature ne'er a plenum makes,
We know by this, dame Nature ne'er mistakes;
For she abhors this monster more than space,
More than a Quaker hates a golden lace,
More than the tuneful choir the bird of night,
Or more than Atheists hate Religion's light.
Newtonians fain would prove-but well we know
'Tis not-nay more—if 'tis, it shan't be so,
For if this magic Plenum fills all nature,
And holds in durance every struggling creature,
Even Nature's self must be content at home,
Nor even a "groaning," force her steps to roam-
Besides, that Matter should find cords to pull
Beyond where space with something is fill'd full,
Is just as likely as that sense should be
Found in those skulls were dwells Inanity:
And hence this ergo-Matter does not now,
Nor ever did, nor ever will, find how
By word, or deed, or any juggling tricks,
To make discordant atoms friendly mix.
If plenum fills up all, both far and wide,
Why then 'tis plain we're full on every side,
Our waistcoat's stuff'd and plenteously lin❜d,
With flesh, and fish, and fowl of every kind;
And much I fear dame Nature will complain,
And wring, and twist her sides, in cholic pain;
Unless good Dr. Bet will assist her,
And make a vacuum with his sovereign clyster,
For tho' a goose, or turkey, may delight
In being stopp'd and cramm'd so very tight;
Yet we, a fowl of somewhat different palate,
Had rather have the meat without that sallad.
But if amidst this vast terrestrial ball,
One universal Plenum fills up all,
And Matter's parts are wedg'd as close together,
As three in bed, or pigs in stormy weather,
Yet, not conjoin'd by Love's attractive power,
No smiling Hymen waits the nuptial hour;
But by external impulse made to wed,
Are forc'd reluctant to the marriage bed.
In all things, great or small, this fact we see,
That ne'er with motion Matter can agree :
For can a log of wood, or stack of hay,
Take leg, or wing, and bear itself away?
No-when we wish such things to move, of course
We take a team of cattle, or a horse.
This fully proves that Matter has no motion
And Newton's system all an idle notion.
'Tis true, in times of old, when Orpheus sung, When stones were tender soul'd, and Nature young,
†The learned gentleman, who has lately so ably defended the Newtonian system; and proved incontrovertibly, that Matter may exist with Motion,
When brick-kilns went to school,† & quarries spoke,
And music trembled from the lofty oak,
To sound of human voice the rocks would prance
And elms and maples join in country dance.
Now less polite, their feelings callous grown,
No voice of music stirs a stick, or stone,
And we in vain our sweetest notes might raise,
In these barbarian and degenerate days,
And fairly fret away both lungs, and liver,
Before a stump, or stone, would condescend to quiver.
This inference then is fair, and plain to see,
If join'd with Motion, Matter ne'er can be,
Where ever Motion comes, when e'er 'tis known
To act on timber, metal, clay, or stone,
Whate'er the agent that directs its force,
Air, water, fire, man, cattle, mule, or horse,
Matter, like Rat, when Guinea-pig too night
Offends his savoury nose, and shocks his eye,
Vex'd at the intrusion, in a mighty huff,
Packs up her duds, and surlily goes off,
And as she takes her leave (so sweet and civil)
Wishes the clownish fellow to the devil.
Thus in a torrent swell'd with wintry rains,
That rends the hills, and deluges the plains,
Bears wild destruction on its foaming wave,
And sweeps the pumpkins to a watery grave;
Or in a kettle, where some house-wife good,
Prepares the Mush, § her children's homely food,
† Supposed to mean singing schools. history. Otherwise called hasty pudding.
A curious fact in natural
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