Part Xi.

L E U C
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Lmt. T' Eucrppus was of Elea^ or, as feme fay , an i j Abderite, or, as others, a Melian : He heard Zeno,
Elis Aflertions are thus delivered by Laertim ; That all things are Infinite , and tranfmutated into one another; That the Univerfe is Vacuum and Full, ( that is, little Bodies, or Atoms. ) That the Worlds are made by the falling of thefe Bodies into the Vacuum, and intangling with one another , from which Motion , by Coag- mentation of them, the Stars were made. That the Sun is moved in a greater Circle about the Moon. That the Earth is moved about the Centre, and is in figure like a Drum. He firft aflferted Atoms to be the Principles of all things. ,This is the Sum of his DocJtrine, the Particulars thefe.
He held, that the Univerfe, as we faid, is In¬ finite ; one part of it is Full, the other Vacuous ; thefe are the Elements- of which ir^finite Worlds are made, and refolve into them. The Worlds were generated after this manner : Out of the Infinite there were carried, by a kind of Ab- feiffion ( from the reft ) into a great Vacuum many Bodies of all forts of Figures, which being crouded up together, caufed a Circumgyration, by which means hitting againft oneadbther,and rolling about all manner of ways, thofe which were alike, feparated themfelves from the reft, and joined with their equal like ; bur being of equal weight, and not able, by reafon of their multitude, to move round ; thofe of them which were rare, leaped forth to the exterior Vacuum, the reft ftayed together , and entangled them¬
felves by running one within another, and made a firft C^ompound round. This was like a kind of Membrane or skin containing all kinds of Bodies, which Bodies moving round about the middle, the Membrane that enclofed them be¬ came more thin, there flowing together conti¬ nually more Bodies unto thofe in the middle, and |
engaging themfelves in their motion. By this i
means was the Earth made, thofe which went to the .middle being fetled together. Moreover, |
the outerCircumferenceor Membrane, as it were, was continually increafed by the acceflion of new ^ Bodies from without , and, as^t turned about, !
got hold of all that came at it. Some of thefe, entangling with one another, firft made a Hu¬ mid, and, as it were, a dirty kind of Mafs ; but j
being dried in their morion together with the whole, and afterwards enkindled, the Stars were |
made of them. The outmoft is the Orb of the 1
Sun, that of the Moon is next the Earth, the '
reft are betwixt thefe; the Stars are kindled or fet on fire by the fwiftnefs of their motion, the Sun by the Stars, the Moon borrows a little fire from the Sun. The Sun and Moon happen to be i
eclipfed, by reafon that the Earth inclines to¬ wards the South ; the Northern Parts are con¬ tinually opprefs’d with Snow and Froft ; the Sun is feldome eclipfed, the Moon continually, be- caufe their Orbs are not equal. 'In the fame manner as the World was made, it increafed, will diminifh, and perilh, by a certain kind of . {
neceffty. Hitherto Laerdua. What is more to be faid of his Opinions, we fhall infert amongft ;
thofe of Democritm, who borrowed moft of them
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DEMOCKITVS.
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