actually turned homewards again: but got truer tidings, and came on.
"The more was the pity, as perhaps will appear!"He arrived September 20th
[if you will be particular on cheese-parings]; called on me that day,
being lodged in my neighborhood; and next day, found Maupertuis at
home;" [Formey, i. 176-179.]--and flew into his arms again, like a good
boy long absent.

Maupertuis, not many months ago, had, in Two successive Papers, I think
Two, communicated to the Academy a Discovery of Metaphysico-Mathematical
or altogether Metaphysical nature, on the Laws of Motion;--Discovery
which he has, since that, brought to complete perfection, and sent forth
to the Universe at large, in his sublime little Book of COSMOLOGY; [In
La Beaumelle,--Vie de Maupertuis--(Paris, 1856), pp. 105-130, confused
account of this "Discovery," and of the gradual Publication of it to
mankind,--very gradual; first of all in the old Paris times; in the
Berlin ACADEMY latterly; and in fine, to all the world, in this ESSAI
DE COSMOLOGIE (Berlin, Summer of 1750).]--grateful Academy striving to
admire, and believe, with its Perpetual President, that the Discovery
was sublime to a degree; second only to the flattening of the Earth; and
would probably stand thenceforth as a milestone in the Progress of Human
Thought. "Which Discovery, then?" Be not too curious, reader; take only
of it what shall concern you!

It is well known there have been, to the metaphysical head, difficulties
almost insuperable as to How, in the System of Nature, Motion is?
How, in the name of wonder, it can be; and even, Whether it is at all?
Difficulties to the metaphysical head, sticking its nose into the gutter
there;--not difficult to my readers and me, who can at all times walk
across the room, and triumphantly get over them. But stick your nose
into any gutter, entity, or object, this of Motion or another,
with obstinacy,--you will easily drown, if that be your
determination!--Suffice it for us to know in this matter, that
Maupertuis, intensely watching Nature, has discovered, That the key of
her enigma (or at least the ultimate central DOOR, which hides all
her Motional enigmas, the key to WHICH cannot even be imagined as
discoverable!) is, that "Nature is superlatively THRIFTY in this affair
of motion;" that she employs, for every Motion done or do-able, "a
MINIMUM OF ACTION;" and that, if you well understand this, you will, at
least, announce all her procedures in one propo