Page:The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy - 1729 - Volume 1.djvu/36

Rh ; as our Author has abundantly proved from the clearet reaons. So that Men mut be trangely fond of chimera's, who can pend their time o idly, as in patching up a ridiculous figment and etting it off with new comments of their own.

If the bodies of the Planets and Comets are carried round the Sun in vortices; the bodies o carried, and the parts of the vortices next urrounding them, mut be carried with the ame velocity and the ame direction, and have the ame denity, and the ame vis inertia anwering to the bulk of the matter. But it is certain, the Planets and Comets, when in the very ame parts of the Heavens, are carried with various velocities and various directions. Therefore it necearily follows that thoe parts of the celetial fluid, which are at the ame ditances from the Sun, mut revolve at the ame time with different velocities in different directions; for one kind of velocity and direction is required for the motion of the Planets, and another for that of the Comets. But ince this cannot be accounted for; we mut either ay that all the celetial bodies are not carried about by vortices; or ele that their motions are derived, not from one and the ame vortex, but from everal ditinct ones, which fill and pervade the paces round about the Sun.

But if everal vortices are contained in the ame pace, and are uppoed to penetrate each other, and to revolve with different motions; then becaue thee motions mut agree with thoe of the bodies carried about by them, which are perfectly regular. and performed in conic ections which are ometimes very eccentric, and ometimes nearly circles; one may very reaonably ask, how it comes to pas that thee vortices remain entire, and have uffered Rh