PART XUI

Scxu Ernp. adv, Fhjf.
Jhid.
luiret.
This Mutation or Alteration is not a Species of Motion, diftinft from that which is called local Motion or Tranfition. Local Motion or Tranfition is the Gems., this Mutation or Al¬ teration is nothing but a Species thereof, to wit- that whereby moveables are carried through fhort and undilceruable intervals. For whatfoever 2. compound Body is changed according to 'Quality., vs changed altogether by the local and tranfitive Motion of the Jtoms and little Bodies., creating a Quality , whether they be tranfpofed in Place and Scituation in the Body itfelf, or come into it, or pafs out of it.
For Example : That of fweet, fomething bitter be made j or of rvhite., black j it is requifite , the little Bodies which conftitute it be tranfpofed^ and one come into the rank of another. But this could not happen, unlefs thofe little Bodies themfelves were moved by tranjient Motion, jigain, that of bard, fomthing foft be made ; and of foft, hard ; it is requifite, thofe Particles whereof it confifls, he mo¬ ved locally, forafrnuch as by Extenfion of them it is foftned, and by Condenfation hardned whence the Motion of Mutation is not generically different from the Motion of^Trmfition.
But to return to that Motion, which is pro¬ per to the Caufe or Efficient, we may obferve, that to iome things the name of Caufe is attri¬ buted, for that they excite Motion. For For¬ tune, which is a Caufe of ferae things, can no other way be admitted, than as it is the fame with the felf-moving and Agent Caufe, and on¬ ly denotes Ignorance of the Effeft connexed with it, and intended by it, Otherwife , fo far is it from being fit to make it a Goddefs, • as the ordinary fort of Men do, ( for by God nothing is done diforderly, ) that it is not to be efteemed fo much as an unftable Caufe.
Even Fate alio is no other than the felf-mo¬ ving Caufes, that aft by themfelves , as they are connefted among themfelves, and the later depend of the former, albeit this Connexion and Dependance be not of that Dependance and Neceffity which fome natural Philofophers would perfuade for there is no fcch Neceffity in Nature, liircc the Motion of the Declination of Atoms, of which we already fpoke, breaks it off, lb as it intercurs neither in a certain l.ine, nor in a certain Region of Place.
Likewife an End is faid to be a Caufe, for- afmuch as it produceth fomthing, or not pro- duceth it, no otherwife than becaufe it moveth. It moveth, I fay, by fending a Species into the Soul, which draws and allures it by invifible, yet Phyfical little Hooks and Chains, as ic were, by which, for the molt part, together with the Soul, the Body alfo is atrafted. Certainly, no fuch Attraftion can be underftood to be made, unlefs by fome rcboundings, and intanglings of Atoms.
Infomuch as even all thofe things, which are faid to be done by Sympathy or Antipathy, are perform^ by Phyfical Caufes, that is, by fome ( unfeen indeed, but ) very fmall Organs, which intervening, fome things are as truly atrafted to or repelled from one another, as thofe things which are wrought upon by fenfible and grof- fer Organs are attrafted and repelled.
For to explain this by ap Example. How think we comes it to pafs, that a Lyon is not
able to endure the fight of a Cock, but, aflbon as he fees him, runs away ? unlefs there are fome little bodies in the body of the Cock, which being, as in Looking glaifes, immitted into the Eyes of the Lion, fo pierce his Eye balls, and caufe fo lharp pain, that he is not able to with- ftand or endure it, how fierce and furious foe- ver he be. But in our Eyes, thofe Bodies pro¬ duce nothing like this, being they of a diffe¬ rent contexture,as fhall be Ihewed when we come to difeourfe ofthe Senfes.
CHAP. XII.
Ofthe Qualities of Compound things in general.
AS concerning the Qpalities belonging to Compound things,itisknown,that under this term are comprehended all, as well Adjunfts as Accidents of things, but chiefly the Adjunfts, whether they be properly Adjunfts, that is, con- ftantly abiding in a Compound Body, as long as ic perfeveres, and not feparable from it with¬ out deffroying ; or more properly and largely taken, that is, as a mean between Adjunfts, pro¬ perly fo termed, and Accidents, forafrnuch as, like thefe, they exift in them ; but in thofe they come and go, may be with or from a Body, with¬ out the corruption thereof.
The moft obvious Queftion concerning them, is. How ic comes to pafs, that they are in Com¬ pound things, when, as we faid before, they are not in Atoms, of which Compound things con- fifl ? That they are not in Atoms, is already ffiewn; forafrnuch as every Quality that ex- ifts in Atoms , as Magnitude , Figure , and Weight, is fo natural to them, that it can no more be changed , than the very fub- ftanceof the Atoms j and this, bccaufe in the diffolution of Compound things,there muff needs remain fomthing folid and undiffolved -, whence it comes, that all motions which are made, are neither into nothing, nor out of nothing.
We anfwer, that Qualities arife in Compound things,as well from the tranfpoficion that is made of the Atoms, now fewer, now more ; which in one pofition afford one quality in another, another -, as from the acceffion that is made of fome A tomes wholly new, and the difceffion of fome pre-exiftent. Whence thefe Qualities a- gafn are varied , or feem different from what they were at firft.
For as Letters give a divers reprefentation of themfelves, not only thofe which are of diffe¬ rent Figure and Form, as and N, but even the fame Letters, if their Pofition or Order, be changed^ Pofition, as in Wand 2j Order, as in J N, and N A : So, not only Atoms, which are of divers Figures, ( as. alfo of different bulk and motion, ) are naturally apt to effeft: divers Seufes, and, in one, to exhibit Colour ^ in ano¬ ther Odour in a third,Sapor ; in a fourth, ano¬ ther : But alfo thofe which are of the fame, if they change the Pofition or Order among them, affeft the Senfes in fuch manner, that thofe ( for example, ) which now exhibit one Colour, pre- fently exhibit another, as we before' inftanc’d in the water of the Sea, which, being ftilL feem- eth green ; troubled, white ; and, as is ordinari¬ ly inftanc’d, the neck of a Pigeon, which, ac¬ cording
I’ART XIII.
EPICURUS.
cording as it is varioufly placed towards the Light, receiveth-a great variety of Colours.
And as there is made a diverrity,not only when the fame Letters which compofe one word are fo tranfpofed, as that they exhibit divers Forms, but much more, when fome are added to them, and fome taken away from them j in like man¬ ner it is neceflary, that Colours, Odours, and other Qualities, be changed, not only when the fame Atoms change their Pofition and Order, but likewife when fome come to them, fome de¬ part from them, as is raanifeft from the foftning, hardning, crudefaftiouj ripening of things, and the like.
Briefly, as it is of great concernment amongft Letters, with what other Letters they are joyn- cd, and in what Pofition and Order they are among themfelves, fince, by fo fmall a unmber of Letters , we fignify the Heaven, the Earth, the Sun, the Sea, Rivers, Fruits, Shrubs,- living Creatures, and innumerable fuch like • fo is it of great concernment amongft Atoms, with what others they arc joyned, and in what other Pofi¬ tion , and in what Intervals and Connexions, what Motions amongft one another they give or receive • forafmuch as by this means they are able to exhibit the variety, as of all things, fo of all Qiialities in them.
To fpeak more particularly, fome Qualities firft feem to arife out of Atoms, as confider’d according to Subftance ^ and being in fuch Pofi¬ tion amongft themfelves, as that they have a greater or lelfer V’acmm intercepted or excluded. Other Qualities are made of them, as they are en¬ dued with their three Properties, fome from a Angle Property, others from a conjuncture of more.
CHAP. XIII.
»
Qualities from Jtoms conjidered^ according to tbeir Subftance^ and interception of V acmca.
ANd after the firft manner arife Rarity and Denftty ^ for it is manifeft, that no Denfe’ thing can be made Rare, unlefs the Atoms there¬ of, or the parts of which it is Compounded ( they themfelves being compounded of Atoms,) be fo put afunder from one another, that^ being diffufed into a larger place, they intercept with- " in it more and larger Vacuities; Neither can any thing Rare be made Denfe, unlefs its Atoms or parts be fo thruft up together, as that, being reduced into a narrower place, they compre¬ hend it in fewer, or more contradfed Vacuities. Moreover, it is manifeft, that, according to the more or lelfer Vacuity which is intercepted, the Air ( for example, )or Light is faid to be Rare p but a Scone, Iron, and the like, faid to, be Denfe.
Together with thefe feem to arife Ferfpicuity and Opacity •, for every thing is. fo rmich more Perfpicuous, ( other tefpeefs being equal, ) by how much more it is too Rare , lo much more Opacous,by how much is is raorjc Denfe . Be- caufe the more Rare is the more patent to lucid and vifible beams • the more Denfe, the more obftrudtive of them. But I fay, ( other refpects being equal, ) a more thick Body, as Glafs, may have little vacuous paflages placed in fo ftreight
I a line, that the beams may pafs more eafily I through it, than through a rarer Body ; as a ‘ leaf of Coleworc, whnfe fmall Pores are pefter'd with little Bodies varioufly permixt ; even the beams themfelves are cut off, unlefs they pafs through ftrait holes, fuch as are in Glafs.
Again, there arilech aKo Fluidity^ Liquidity^ and t'irmnefs • For a Body feemeth to be fluid for no other reafon,than becaufe the Atomsjor Parts whereof it conlifts, have little vacuities lodg’d within them, and are withal fo difibciated from one another, as that they are eafily moveable, one in order to another, through the not-refiftence of the little Vacuities; Neither doth any thing feem to be firm from any other caufe, than the contrary hereof ^ that is, the Atoms and Parts touch one another fo clofely, and are fo cohe¬ rent to one another, that for the fame reafon they cannot be moved out of their fituation ; for fuch Atoms there may be, as, being more hooked, and as it were, more branching, may hold the Body more clofely compared. How Water , in particular, being liquid, becomes hardned into Ice, fhall be faid hereafter.
Likewife , thofe Qualities which depend of thefe, Humidity and Stccity. Humidity is a kind of fluid nefs , only it fuperadds this. That the parts of a Humid thing,toaching fome Body, or penetrating into it, are apt to flick to it, there¬ by rend ring it moift. Siccity is a kind of firm- nefs, adding only this, that a dry Body is void of Humidity.
Moreover, Softnefs and Hardnefs^ which co¬ here with thefe , and, upon another account, agree alfo with Rarity and Denfity, iuafmucli as ( other refpedts being equal, ) every Body is fo much the more foft, by how much the more rare - and fo much the more hard, by how much the more compafl •, I fay, ( other Refpefts being equal, ) becaufe Dirt is foft, ar ' a Pumice hard, by reafon of the greater cohefion of the pairts, which pefter the Cavities, and v fift the Touch, aud cannot retire into the hindei noft Cavities, as other wife they would.
There are others which depend upon thefe ; as Flexility^ TafUlity^ Dui}ilityyind others, from Softnefs; their .oppolites, from Hardnefs •, but ’tis enough to have hinted them-.
CHAP. XIV.
Qualities fpringing from Atoms^ con(idered accord' ing to the Properties peculiar to eachi '
IN the fecond manner, aud as far as the Pro¬ perties of Atoms are confidered particular¬ ly ; In the firft place, the Magnitude, Quantity, or bulke of every thing,arifeth no other way than from the coacervate Magnitude of the^ Atoms, of which it is compounded. Whence it is ma¬ nifeft, that Augmentation and Diminution of Bo¬ dies is therefore made, becaufe Atoms, where- foever they arrive, give to the things an incr^fe ^ wherefover they go away , they diminilh them.
Not to mention, that, according as theAtoms are greater or lelfer, may be made that which we call Bluntnefs and Acuteneft. And thence a reafon may be given. Why the Fire of Light¬ ning
EPICURUS.