Isaac Newton and the Strong and Weak Nuclear Forces

Opticks, Query 31:

Have not the small Particles of Bodies certain Powers, Virtues or Forces, by
which they act at a distance, not only upon the Rays of Light for reflecting,
refracting and inflecting them, but also upon one another for producing a great
part of the Phaenomena of Nature? For it's well known that bodies act one upon
another by the Attractions of Gravity, Magnetism and Electricity; and these
Instances shew the Tenor and Course of Nature, and make it not improbable but
that there may be more attractive Powers than these. For Nature is very
consonant and conformable to her self. How these Attractions may be perform'd,
I do not here consider. What I call Attraction may be perform'd by impulse, or
by some other means unknown to me. I use that Word here to signify in general
any Force by which Bodies tend towards one another, whatsoever be the Cause.
For we must learn from the Phaenomena of Nature what Bodies attract one
another, and what are the Laws and Properties of the Attraction, before we
enquire the Cause by which the Attraction is perform'd, The Attractions of
Gravity, Magnetism and Electricity, reach to very sensible distances, and so
have been observed by vulgar Eyes, and there may be others which reach to so
small distances as hitherto escape Observation; and perhaps electrical
Attraction may reach to such small distances, even without being excited by
Friction.

For when Salt of Tartar runs _per diliquium_, is this not done by an Attraction
between the Particles of the Salt of Tartar, and the Particles of the Water
which float in the Air in the form of Vapours? And why does not common Salt, or
Salt-petre, or Vitriol, run _per deliquium_, but for want of such an
Attraction? Or why does not Salt of Tartar draw more Water out of the Air than
in a certain Proportion to its quantity, but for want of an attractive Force
after it is satiated with Water? And whence is it but from this attractive
Power than Water which alone distils with a gentle lukewarm Heat, will not
distil from Salt of Tartar without a great Heat? ...

John Savard