BOOK I PART II
ing now no distance betwixt the walls of the
chamber, they touch each other; in the same
manner as my hand touches the paper, which
is immediately before me. But though this an-
swer be very common, I defy these metaphysi-
cians to conceive the matter according to their
hypothesis, or imagine the floor and roof, with
all the opposite sides of the chamber, to touch
each other, while they continue in rest, and pre-
serve the same position. For how can the two
walls, that run from south to north, touch each
other, while they touch the opposite ends of
two walls, that run from east to west? And
how can the floor and roof ever meet, while
they are separated by the four walls, that lie in
a contrary position? If you change their posi-
tion, you suppose a motion. If you conceive
any thing betwixt them, you suppose a new
creation. But keeping strictly to the two ideas