Having shewn that _solid bodies_ have no power either of _attraction_ or _gravitation_, and that their _firmness_ or _solidity_ depends on the _pressure_ of the _atmosphere_; I shall now endeavour to shew, from electrical experiments, how, and by what means they _descend_ towards the earth. What is called the _attraction_ of the _earth_ seems to be performed in the same manner as that of the _glass globe_ in electricity; the explaining of which will give us a clear idea, by what means _heavy bodies_ are _forced_ towards the terraqueous globe. In accounting for this electrical _attraction_, Mr. _Hauksbee_ seems to be very clear; for, says he, “if by the heat and rarefaction, consequent upon the attrition, the medium contiguous to the glass be made specifically lighter; then of course, to keep up the ballance, the remoter air, which is denser, must press in towards the tube, and so carry away (in the torrent) the little bodies lying in its way, thither also. The various irregularities in the excitation, or the emission and discharge of the electrical matter or light from the tube (which will be followed with proportional irregularities, in the motion and tendency of the denser air, towards the glass globe, by the hydrostatical laws) may be sufficient to account for the various uncertain motions of the little bodies carried towards the glass globe.” This account of Mr. _Hauksbee_’s being so very clear, it is a little surprising that he should allow the power of _attraction_ to matter, as in some places he does; for this is no more than in other words, telling us, that the air round the ball is _divided_ and _rubbed_ or _ground_ to pieces by the _friction_ between the glass globe and your hand, and thereby made to _expand_ itself; so the air pressing in to make up that deficiency, forces every thing towards the glass globe, that by its number of particles is not able to withstand the _current_ of _air_, pressing towards the globe. So in like manner near the surface of the earth, the sun-beams being _reflected_ by the terraqueous globe, must by these means be in a greater quantity near the surface of the earth, than at a distance from it; and so _divide_, _expand_ and _rarify_ the air near its surface, which _rarified_ or _divided_ air is forced off from the earth on all sides, by the _pressing_ in of the air from above, which must of consequence _drive_ every thing before it, towards the earth. By which we find, that the cause of bodies _descending_ towards the earth, is not from any _property_ either of the _earth_ or of the _descending bodies_; but that these are _forced_ towards that, by the surrounding _air_, in its said _motion_.