is that way of philosophizing which endeavours to explain things, and to account for the phenomena of nature, by the motion, figure, rest, position, &c. of the corpuscles, or the minute particles of matter.

Mr Boyle sums up the chief principles of the corpuscular hypothesis, which now flourishes under the mechanical philosophy in these particulars:

1. They suppose that there is but one catholic or universal matter, which is an extended, impenetrable, and divisible substance, common to all bodies, and capable of all forms. 2. That this matter, in order to form the vast variety of natural bodies, must have motion in some or all its assignable parts; and that this motion was given to matter by God the Creator of all things, and has all manner of directions and tendencies. 3. Matter must also be actually divided into parts, and each of these primitive particles, fragments, or atoms of matter must have its proper magnitude or size, as also its peculiar figure or shape. 4. They suppose also, that these differently fixed and shaped particles may have as different orders and positions, whereof great variety may arise in the composition of bodies.