I want you now to understand the nature of the most simple exertion of this power of matter called _weight_, or _gravity_. Bodies are heavy--you saw that in the case of water when I placed it in the balance. Here I have what we call a _weight_ [an iron half cwt.]--a thing called a weight, because in it the exercise of that power of pressing downwards is especially used for the purposes of weighing; and I have also one of these little inflated india-rubber bladders, which are very beautiful although very common (most beautiful things are common), and I am going to put the weight upon it, to give you a sort of illustration of the downward pressure of the iron, and of the power which the air possesses of resisting that pressure. It may burst, but we must try to avoid that [During the last few observations the Lecturer had succeeded in placing the half cwt. in a state of quiescence upon the inflated india-rubber ball, which consequently assumed a shape very much resembling a flat cheese with round edges.] There you see a bubble of air bearing half a hundred weight, and you must conceive for yourselves what a wonderful _power_ there must be to pull this weight downwards, to sink it thus in the ball of air. [Illustration: Fig. 1.] Let me now give you another illustration of this power. You know what a pendulum is. I have one here (fig. 1), and if I set it swinging, it will continue to swing to and fro. Now, I wonder whether you can tell me why that body oscillates to and fro--that pendulum bob as it is sometimes called. Observe, if I hold the straight stick horizontally, as high as the position of the balls at the two ends of its journey you see that the ball is in a higher position at the two extremities than it is when in the middle. Starting from one end of the stick, the ball falls towards the centre; and then rising again to the opposite end, it constantly tries to fall to the lowest point, swinging and vibrating most beautifully, and with wonderful properties in other respects--the time of its vibration, and so on--but concerning which we will not now trouble ourselves.