BOOK I PART IV
the latter, viz. concerning the cause of our per-
ceptions. Matter and motion, it is commonly
said in the schools, however varyed, are still
matter and motion, and produce only a differ-
ence in the position and situation of objects. Di-
vide a body as often as you please, it is still
body. Place it in any figure, nothing ever results
but figure, or the relation of parts. Move it in
any manner, you still find motion or a change
of relation. It is absurd to imagine, that motion
in a circle, for instance, should be nothing but
merely motion in a circle; while motion in an-
other direction, as in an ellipse, should also be
a passion or moral reflection: That the shock-
ing of two globular particles should become a
sensation of pain, and that the meeting of two
triangular ones should afford a pleasure. Now
as these different shocks, and variations, and
mixtures are the only changes, of which matter