PART XIII.

E T I C U R U S.
Lurt,
Uer%.
* Lucret.
I fhall add nothing concerning the common Objeds of Senfe, as Magnitude, Figure, Mo¬ tion , and the like, which are perceptible by more Senfes than one , for what we laid of them in the Canonick, is fufficient.
C H A P. XT.
Of Sight ^ and of the Images which glide into it.
B’
I Eing to fpeak fomething of every Senfe, we
_ muft begin with Sight, wh'ofe Organ mani-
tcltly is the Eye ; nor is it lefs evident, that the external ylppearances.^ and Forms of Things., are therefore feen hy us ; becaufe fomething glides from without., or from the Objeils into us., that w, into our Eye., But before we undertake to fhew,that this is far more probable than what others alTert, we mull declare whether there be any thing which comes from the Things themfelves into our Eye, and of what nature it is.
Firfl then we affirm, that nt^thing hinders but that certain ’ Effluxions of Atoms, perpetually
* flying in an uninterrupted courfe, are fent from
* the Surfaces of Bodies, in which alfo the fame ‘ Pofition and fame Order may be preferved, 4 which was found in the Superficies and Solids of « the very Bodies themfelves, v/hence fuch Ef- « fluxions are as it were Forms, Figures, or Ima- ‘ ges of thefe Bodies from which they are deri-
* ved, and refembling them in all their Linea- ments \ and,^moreover, are far more fnbtle than
/any of the wings themfelves, which by theni
* ture of thpfe fortts dr figures, which we ufe to
* call Idols, or Iniages.
* Nor is it difficult, that fuch kind of contex- fliould be fobnd in the middle
fubclc cmifflons are fent from them, as niake all things behind them apear fo coloured. ■ But the experiment from Looking-glaffes is more than fufficient ; for thefe clearly ihew,that there are indeed fiich.cffiuviums emitted frorh bodies, in regard, the bodies being prefent, they light upon the glafs ^ if any thing intervene, they are hindred from coming thither* if the bodies be mpyed,, they move alfo, if inverted, they al'fo ai e invei ted ; if the bodies retire, they alio goe back ; if they are taken away, they wholly difeppear. '
But ‘ forasmuch as there is no point of time, ' in whi(;h thefe Images flow not into theMedium,
* doubpl^fs, their produdlion mull be made in a ‘ poin of time, and be perpetually flowing out i at the fupei -ficies, iu a continued ftream. For ‘ the reafon,why they cannot be difeerned apat .
‘ is, beqaufe, when one Image goes away, ano- ‘ thet, coherently fucceeds, and fuppliesits room ■
, and'iiiftantly preferves the fame order and po- j fition of Atoms, which is in the fuperficies of ‘ the folid Body, and , that for a long time, and ‘ at a great diflance, ( although at lafl: they are ‘ confounded. ) Whence it comes to pafs, that the Body always appeareth with the fame acci¬ dents, and in the fame form
I mean here,that form which is proper to the Body, and is conceived to bea colledion ( as it were, ) of parts, ditpofed in a certain order, or ( as it were, ) the fuperficies left behind, by the Image, which flies away from it.
•> It; may here feemftrange,that the Body feem^ eth no more to bediminifh’d, than as if nothing at, all were taken off from it •, but this is by rea- fpn of their extraordin^y tenuity ,whi!;h^.cannoc be underflood, without hrft conceiving ^he tenu¬ ity of the Atoms. Concerning this, yv’e , iu- jft^nc’d formerly, in an animal fo fmaU, as if we
fuppofed it divided into three parts, each of them
tures fliould be tohnd in the middle Aire, oij * ambiently diffufed fpace nor, that there flioufd I
‘ beinthethings themfelves,anderpeciallyinthe j will be indifceniable ; ^nd yet for performance ‘ Atoms, certain difpofitions rendring them apt [ of rfiofe. animal tundlioiis which it difehargeth, t to make reprefentation's, Which are only meer it mull neceflarly be made up of fuch parts and c empty cavities, and fqperficial teituities of no ^ particles ascan hardly be formed, without innu- ‘ determinable depth., * But i.ti this place, we merable in.yriacfs of Atoms, fpeak of thofe effluviums, which areas’it werethin i Not.to mention, in confirmation of the pro-
filmSjOr skins ftripl from the remaining Bodies. ! babilicy hereof , that there are many odorous N6r yet is it diffichlt, that images of this na- thirigs, out of which, though fomething incef- fure fliould flow from the out - Tides of bodies,as fantly.flow,yccfora long time nothing appear- lueret. Joc.ch. ffiencc proved, that there flowing €Ver fonie- ' eth to be diminifhcd,^ither as to their figure or thiiigirom the inner parts of bodies, as fmell, | weight, notwichflapding that the effluviums out Tirat^cold, ( is wc hinted formerly, ) it is far j of them are far grofler, and more numerous than more eafic, that fomething fliould flow, or be thefe Images, which flow out along with them ; carried away from their out * moft parts^ fince the '
Atoms, as well in one as the other, are in a per-i petual endeavQVir of difentangling themfelves to get away, but in the former cafe, being covered; with other Atoms, tliey find refiftence, whereas in the later,bcing placed in the fore- front of the b^d.y,|:|iey find.^ne., Add> that hencc^lfo they gain the advantage of, flying out frjom ;tne fuper- fipi^^in thelante.ordfr and rank,wiiiqhthey held whereas, tbof^ which comes from with-i iiii e^not but ^cb^nge tbeir pcfflbrfs, being
Hid,
bften/(^fturbed;in: tb^ way, l)^,th‘eir .'^nfradl^ > there being not much difference, becaufe they paflage^* '* ' T* mpf*!* fpw nr nrk ohft-firle? in the foace which lur-
' that there are indeed i'^bV-^ffinvium^' irajiy jicnee be proved, [that, if thh^wnT beams pafe tliprQnghCurtains,red:( '/orej:^'ampfc,') ^^ of any .•tffler (;9lour, drawn before the Theaters, fuch
yet are fo incou^iderable a part of the thjngs that flow out, as no -man can exprefs. ,
, Wonderful alfo may feem their celerity m flying, out ; but this muft be underftood by the celerity of the: A.toms, formerly declared ; for thefe Images, by reafon of the tenuity ,y7c fpoke of, being nothingelfe hut eertain-conjtextures of limple A toms, ‘ have a celerity, beyond all ima- I ginarion, and their paffage through the tran- {parent place which is found about them is dike that which is through the infinic fpaces.
meet few or no obftacles in the fpacc whic;h (ur- ‘ rounds them. Certainly, if the light of the ^n.^nd other St^rs can come fo fwiftly ( as we obTerye, ) from Heaven, the celerity of thefe fmages ought to be, if not greater yet not lefs,
Ffff , by
I
LAert.
Luvet
Ibid.
Ibid.
E P i C V kU Si