Cause Principle Unity

On magic
there are many large magnetic mountains. This is very hard to believe, but
let us assume it anyhow. Then we ask why this attraction occurs at all distances
from that place. We are not speaking here of active but of passive
magnetic attraction. I have not yet experienced whether a magnet attracts
another magnet. If there are such mountains, and if they exert their power
at such great distances, then since they attract a compass needle at the
equator and in the tropics, in our region of the earth they would attract men
wearing armour. But this is completely ridiculous. If we grant that a magnet
attracts iron when there is nothing except air between them, and if the
attraction occurs in a straight line from our region of the earth to those
places across the northern sea where the magnetic mountains and cliffs are
located, then a large arc of the earth lies in between. Therefore, the magnet
would attract iron (or another magnet, if that could happen for a similar
reason), if our magnet is located at A and the mountains are at D. The
attraction must then occur at B or C, and thus, it crosses either through the
large straight line distance AB or AC as indicated, or through the large arc
of the earth AB and AC as indicated.
It is clear that this common and well-known argument falls apart for
many reasons. To these objections we add that these magnetic mountains
do not have the power to attract a magnet because they are similar to each
other; if that were the case, we would see a very small magnet attracted by
a very large one. Thus, we cannot appeal to attraction as the cause of this
effect, because, as was said, it is iron which is attracted, while the magnet
122