on the face of the earth, and perhaps every vegetable, contradicts this law. Yet if it be not true, Newton's system is a rope of sand.-Perhaps it is the vis gravitatis that gives the handle. This Newton holds, not to be inherent in matter, but an impressed force; and he must necessarily do so, to be consistent; for if it were inherent, it would be evidently contradictory to the vis inertia. Matter continues to be inert, even when its state is constantly changed by the force of gravity; being passive, it yields to every impression. As all action implies an agent, an impressed force implies some being that impresses it, either body or mind. If the impression be made by a body, that body must also have had its force impressed, and the chain of bodies impressed and impressing must end in some being, which has an inherent power of impressing motion upon matter, and, consequently, which is not matter. This, I think, is the fair conclusion from Newton's doctrine of gravity, the conclusion which he saw and intended; and it appears to be as unlucky a handle for the materialist as even the vis inertia; indeed, these are so connected, that, though the inertia of matter does not imply its gravity, the impressed force of gravity implies its inertia. Nor can I help thinking, that Newton had reason to hold forth his system, as the true physical principles of astronomy, and not barely as an hypothesis, by which the phenomena might be solved, and calculation assisted. He had learned from Bacon, to disdain as the fictions of men, hypotheses whose truth is not legitimately proved by induction from fact. This appears from his second law of philosophizing. If the heavenly bodies be inert and inactive, every change of their state from rectilineal motion, necessarily implies an impressed force, and an uninterrupted change implies a force uninterruptedly impressed. That such a force really exists in nature, and is not an arbitrary hypothesis, appears to be a necessary conclusion, from these two premises; to wit, that matter is inert, and that the heavenly bodies move in curve lines. It is impossible to evade this conclusion, unless there be in nature a power of giving motion to matter, which is neither in the matter itself, nor external to it. There seem to me to be two ways, in which, Newton's system may be fairly, I do not say successfully, assaulted: one way is, by showing that his rules of philosophizing are not, in the present state of human nature, the only foundation, on which, a true system of physical astronomy can be raised. For this, Bacon, as well as Newton, is answerable, as the rules are the same in both. The other way is, by showing that his conclusions are not justly deduced from the phenomena of the heavens, according to those rules. For this, Newton alone is answerable. He seems likewise to me, to have just stopped, where a natural philosopher ought to stop. Having traced the chain of natural and dependant causes, as far as he was able, and shown, that the highest link he was able to reach, still implied a higher, which must be either a natural and dependant cause, or the finger of God. But your opinion of Newton's system does not affect your "Chart and Scale of Truth," nor does it affect the great regard and esteem, with which, I have the honour to be, Rev. Sir, Your very much obliged humble servant, THOMAS REID. III. DR. HAYGARTH'S LETTERS TO DR. TATHAM. REVEREND DOCTOR, Bath, June 22, 1807. THE just praise, with which, you have honoured the character of the Rev. Dr. Bateman in a late publication, could not fail to afford high gratification, to all his scholars. It has revived a wish, which I have often entertained, that his Latin and Greek phrase books might be published. They were composed, you know, of notes upon classical authors, to explain difficult and illustrate beautiful passages. Being the work of many years, by a man of uncommon learning, might not a monument be thus erected, which would be highly honourable to the memory of so excellent a schoolmaster? Would not such a publication promote classical erudition, and afford very useful assistance to the upper boys of large schools? I left Sedbergh school in 1759, and, soon after that period, my time and study have been chiefly employed on other, particularly, on medical subjects, so that I should be very ill qualified to publish such a work. Besides, mine are much less perfect, than future copies, as you may remember, that Dr. Bateman was constantly adding new annotations to his phrase-books. Your departure from Sedbergh was probably at least ten years later. Are you in possession of good copies of them, or can you find any, among your friends at Oxford? If you approve this proposal, you will undoubtedly require, that the business should be executed, in a proper manner. For this purpose, may it not be necessary to engage a man of learning; first, to correct all the numerous schoolboy errata, which the very best copies may probably contain, by a careful reference to all the original passages which are quoted? second, to make an index of all the authors, referring to all the passages explained in the order of their works, so that each phrase may be found, by the classical reader, without difficulty? I prevailed upon a young friend of mine to form such an index to my Latin phrase-book. Should not these phrase-books, with such corrections and indexes, be published in a small and cheap form, so as in both senses to fit a schoolboy's pocket? Can you recollect any Sedbergh scholar, who would be able and willing to undertake the task of editor? No attempt will be made to accomplish this proposal, without the approbation of at least one of Dr. Bateman's sons. I have already desired my friend, John Dawson, to communicate this plan to the Rev. S. Bateman, with whom you may probably be better acquainted than I am. With Col. Bateman I had become more intimate at Bath, but he is returned to India. This address from an utter stranger might require many apologies. But my hope that you will pardon the liberty. I have taken, is in the desire we mutually feel to advance the honour of our highly respectable schoolmaster, and to promote useful knowledge. I have the honour to be, Your very respectful and faithful servant, JOHN HAYGARTH. IV. SIR, Oxford, Aug. 13, 1807. On my visit to this place, it would have given me great pleasure to obtain a personal conference with you, on the business explained in the letter, which, though a stranger, I took the liberty to address you. Your full approbation of my proposal gave me great satisfaction. I have not yet received any answer to the request sent through Mr. Dawson to the Rev. S. Bateman. As he has the honour to be your friend, your recommendation may probably have much influence. I cannot think, that he can have any objection, to the publication of the Latin and Greek phrase books of his very learned and respectable father, if executed in a proper manner. As I understand that you sometimes visit Bath, it would give me much satisfaction to have the honour of seeing you there, when we might more fully discuss this business. I have the honour to be, with great respect, J. HAYGARTH. V.-DR. DOIG'S LETTER TO DR. TATHAM. REV. SIR, Stirling, Aug. 16, 1794. As Mr. Ireland, a native of this country and an apothecary in your city, is returning directly to Oxford, I could not deny myself the pleasure of writing you a few lines by that conveyance. Perhaps you may recollect to have seen in Oxford, towards the end of June, 1791, |