20 Aug. 1813

Logic

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Ch. Language

1. Physical fictitious

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The earth which we inhabit is not at rest. The sun himself about which she moves is not at rest. The stars called fixed being but so many suns, are themselves no more at rest than is he.

Considered as a whole the parts of our earth are, as far as appears, with reference to one another, the greater part of them always at rest, - others, especially those near the surface, many of them occasionally in motion: and so in regard to the several separate bodies, consisting of such portions of the matter of which the earth is composed, as are detached and separate from one another, each of them having between itself and every other, with the exception of the base on which it stands, and upon which, by the principle of attraction under the several forms under which it operates, it is kept at that place, certain portions of intervening space.

Of such of them as are in a state of solidity, rest, relative rest, rest with relation to each other, in so far as they are in that state, is the naturally constant state. In motion they are not put but by some supervening accident operating from without. Of such of them as are in a state of fluidity, liquidity and gaseosity included, motion, relative motion is, in every instance, a natural state, exemplified to a greater or lesser extent, depending partly on the particular qualities of the several fluids, partly upon the accidents ab extra to which, individually taken, they happen to be /have been/ exposed.

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