374
P H I L O S O P H A E
Decrefcct nihilum; cum remige rupta retrorfum eft
Cym ba , & progreffum mutare coada regreflu.
Accidit hoc itiaem noftris in viribus hifce,
730
Effe repulfantes, ubi finem habuere trahentes,
Coeptant, oppofitaque movent rem parte ferentes.
Ante oculos manifeftum inflexi lamina ferri
1Objicit 1 exemplum *, fi ferri extrema viciflim
Ejus vi dimota recedant, utraque nifus
7 3 J
Eliciunt magnos contra , atque accedere tentant:
Si nimium accedant, difcedcre mutua pugnant,
Disjungique a fe: nimirum; ut amica, trahuntur
Illin c , languidius tamen ufque, propinquius ut funt
Admota, hic raptus donec jam definat omnis:
740
Ultra progreflis coeptat tunc effe repulfus,
Contraclilquc magis fpatiis magis imprimit idhis .
A t contra in multis queat hoc contingere rebus ,
Ut vice converfa fpatiis quoque crelcat ab ardis
Nimirum raptus, dilatatiique repulfus .
745
M i l -
q u e en im n ccctic eft , ut q u a n
titas p e rp etu o i m m in u t a , poft
q u am a p p u lit ad n ih ilu m , m u
te tu r in n e g a tiv a m
Saepe redit a
n ih ilo e x parte politiva , cujus rei
e x e m p la p lu rim a p ro fe rri potiun t
t a m m a lg cb ra > q u a m in g e o
m e tria , & h ab e tu r etiam g e n e
ralis r e g u la ad d ig n o fe e n d u m , an
d eb e a t p r o g re d i ultra n ih ilu m cx
parte p o litiv a , an regredi cx ne
g a t iv a : (i n im ir u m quan titas ,
q u x ^m i n u i t u r , ubi accedit in
in fin itum ad n ih ilu m ,m in u itu r in
ra tio n e fim plici d ifta n tix ipfius a
n ih ilo , v e l alicujus p o te n tix im -
paris-ejus d ifta n tix ; h ab e tu r p r o -
g ie ffu s ad n e g a tiv u m : fi m in u i
tu r in ration e quad rati ipfius ,
▼ cl cu ju fp iam p o t e n t ix p a r is , h a
b e tu r ^regretius cx parte pofiti-
v a . Si h ab e atu r fo r m u la 4 - x , 8 c
p o n a n tu r pro x n u m e ri
n a b e b u n tu r
1
, 1 . o , - r , - »
c u m tranfitu u ltra x cro ad’ v alo -
res n e g a tiv o s : at fi fic x 6 -8 X *>
fa ftis iifd em p o fitio n ib u s,b a b e b u n .
tur 4 > *
j
o , 1 , 4 i t a , ut p o ft
i e r o redeant ite rum n u m e ri p o -
fitivi .
1 E x em p lu m hic a d b ib e t peri
tum a vi claftica $ fit cla ftru m
flexum ad a n g u lu m *• fi cufpid cs
a b d u can tu r a fc in vicem m a g is,
q u a m p ro fu a naturali p o fitio n c ,
o ritu r d e te rm in atio ip fa ru m ad
m u tu u m a ccetium , q u x refert
q u o d d am g e n u s vis a tt r a & iv x ,ip fa
v e r o eo e ft m a j o r , q u o d ifta n
tia d x m a jo r : im m in u ta diftan
tia , ea vis m i n u i t u r , d on ec de
v e n ia tu r ad 'quandam d iftan tiam ,
in 'qua vis e v a n e fe it , & b in x cu
fpidcs fp o n te quiefeun t: im m in u ta
diftantia ad h u c m a g i s , jam o r i
tu r d eterm in atio co n tra ria , n i
m iru m ad recellum ,- fivc q u o d
dam gen us vis re p u lfiv x . C a u -
fa h aru m d eterm in atio n um ^di-
v e rfa rum eft utique fita in ipfa
n atu ra elaftri , q u x a d igit c u lp i-
des illas jam ad a c c e tiu m ', jam
ad rccetium : verum hic n o n a g i
tur de caufa p h x n o m e n i , fed p ro
fe rtu r e x e m p lu m vis in n atu ra
e x ifte n tis , q u x pro d iv e r fa d ifb m -
