remains in an Equilibrium; under Pretence that Things are not fufficiently understood, and that perhaps the Balance undergoes fome Alteration without any Reason for it.

Thus the Ancients and the Moderns, who own that Gravity is an occult Quality, are in the right, if they mean by it, that there is a certain Mechanism unknown to them, whereby all Bodies tend towards the Center of the Earth. But if they mean, that the thing is performed without any Mechanism, by a fimple primitive Quality, or by a Law of God, who produces that Effect without ufing any intelligible Means; it is an unreasonable occult Quality, and fo very occult, that 'tis impoffible it fhould ever be clear, tho' an Angel, or God himself, fhould undertake to explain it.

The fame ought to be faid of Hardneß. If any one acknowledges that the Mechanifm, which oc cafions Hardness, is unknown to him, he is in the right; but if he pretends that Hardness proceeds from any other Caufe than Mechanism, and if he has recourfe to a primitive Hardness, as the Affertors of Atoms do, he recurs to a Quality that is fo oc cult, that it can never be made clear; that is, to a thing both unreasonable and contrary to the first Principles of Reasoning, fince he owns that there are fome things natural, that have no natural Cause.

Thofe are alfo guilty of the fame Fault, who ad mit an Indifference of Equilibrium, as if the Will could be determined, when all Things are equal on both Sides both inwardly and outwardly. Such a Cafe never happens: There is always a greater Inclination on one Side than on the other; and the Will is always inclined by fome Reafon, or Difpofition, without being neceffitated: And I dare fay,. that many Faults committed in arguing proceed from not duly obferving this great Principle, That nothing happens without a fufficient Reason for it. A Principle,

the

the Force and Confequences whereof have not been fufficiently confidered by Defcartes, and many other great Men. That Principle is fufficient to deftroy the Vacuum, and the Atoms, and occult Qualities of fome Philofophers, and even the firft Element of Defcartes, with his Globes, and many other Fictions.

Thus, Sir, you fee why God could not create Atoms, that is, Bodies hard by their own Nature, Bodies of a primitive and infuperable Hardness not to be ac counted for; as he could not create Planets that hould move round of themselves, without any Caufe that fhould prevent their removing through the Tangent: For a Miracle at leaft muft keep the Planet in, and prevent the Separation of the Parts of the hard Body, if a Mechanical or Intelligible Caufe does not do it. Granting the Poffibility of Atoms, and the Impoffibility of a Vacuum, I don't fee why we fhould be forced to have recourfe to a first Element, that is, to a Matter altogether Fluid. Why may we not fuppofe Space to be filled up with a Matter, that has different Degrees of Fluidity and Tenacity, as I believe it is the Nature of all Matter.

Nor do I fee why hard Bodies fhould neceffarily receive all their Motion from Fluid Bodies, especially from a Mafs altogether Fluid, or from your First Element. For all Matter being equally fufceptible of Motion, and equally uncapable of producing it in itself, the moft folid Bodies may receive it, as well as those that are moft Fluid. Nay, it might be faid, that the Motion communicated to fome few hard Bodies, may ferve to account for the Motion of many Fluid Bodies; and confequently, that it is anterior in Order. For a Solid Body, thrown into a Fluid, puts it into Motion, and produces a Kind of Circulation neceffary to fill up the Place, which otherwife would remain empty behind the Solid Body; and that Circulation forms a Kind of Vortex, that has fome Affinity with that, which we conceive round the Load-ftone.

i

It ought not to be faid, that the Univerfe is like an Animal endued with Life and Intelligence: For then one might be apt to believe, that God is the Soul of that Animal; whereas He is Intelligentia Supramundana, and the Caufe of the World: And If the Univerfe was unlimited, it would be a Col lection of Animals and other Beings; but it could not be a fingle Animal.

Your First Element is not more fufceptible of Life and Intelligence than any other Bulk of Matter; and fince it is not organized, it is not fit it fhould have any Perception, which muft always anfwer the Actions of Organs, if you will have Nature to act order ly and coherently.

You fay, Sir, that 'tis impoffible for us to ap prehend how a Subftance comes to have Life and Perception: And you are in the right, when the Question is about Particulars and the Beginning of Things. But perhaps you will own, that the thing is more intelligible in my Syftem of the Pre-establish ed Harmony, by conceiving that our Spiritual Sub ftances do naturally represent what happens in that Part of Matter, to which they are united.

I have fufficiently anfwered thofe, who objected to me, that 'fuch a Syftem was inconfiftent with Free-Will; for God knowing what Mens Minds would freely chufe in Time, adapted their Bodies to it before-hand. Mr. Jaquelot, who raised fuch an Objection against me by Word of Mouth, was fa tisfied with my Answer, as he owned in his Book againft Mr. Bayle: Nay, he has cleared it with an elegant Comparison. I have answered Father Lami's Objection in the fame manner; and my Anfwer has been inferted in the Fournel des Sçavans. When Mr. Bernoulli was Profeffor at Groningen, he main tained fome Theses, wherein he vindicated my Opinion concerning the Pre-established Harmony.

Το

To conclude, The Imperfections obfervable in the Universe, are like the Diffonances of an excellent Piece of Mufick, which contribute to render it more perfect, in the Opinion of the best Judges. And therefore it cannot be faid, that when God created the World, he made an imperfect Machine. Tis true, there are fome Machines in this World, that have not always, and from the Beginning, all the Perfection that they are capable of.

I return you many thanks, Sir, for your good Wishes about the Beginning of the New Year; and I wish you may long contribute to the Improve ment of the Sciences, being with great Zeal,

SIR;

Your moft Humble,

Hanover, Feb. 10. 1711.

and moft Obedient Servant,

LEIBNITZ.

See another Letter of Mr. Leibnitz to the fame, in

the Fifth Volume, Art. XIII.

ARTICLE

II.

M. HARTSOEKER's Answer to M.

LEIBNITZ.

I

SIR,

CANNOT tell whether I want Penetration, or whether I am too much prepoffeffed in Fa vour of my Atoms, to understand the Arguments, whereby you endeavour to prove your confpiring Motions. Matter is Eternal, according to fome Hea thens; or it was created, according to the Moderns. If the First Affertion were true, nothing could hinder us from believing, that Matter is divided into Bodies of a perfect Hardness, and that it is fuch by its own Nature. But if God created it, I defire you to tell me, whether he could not have created it, as he might have wifhed it fhould be, either for an Inftant, or for a limited Time, or for ever, without making wife of any other thing but his bare Will. If fome Mechanism is requifite for that, I freely confefs that I am ignorant of it: As for what concerns your Confpiring Motions, I don't understand them. A Body may be at Reft, or in Motion; and as the Quantity of its Motion is measured by the Product of its Bulk with its Swiftness, it has very little Motion, if it be very fmall, and moves very flowly: But fince a Body, which has a very little Motion, may eafily be turn ed afide, and receive any Motion communicated to it, how comes it that the Parts of a Diamond, which doubtlefs have a very little Motion, (if it be true that they have any,) are fo connected together, that they make up a Body of fuch a Hardness? Ifay it has fuch a Hardness, because it is com

pofed