PART XIII.

EPICURUS.
59S
ihid.
Uert^
Utn,
the admiration which arifcth from their con- fidcration, cannot be fatisficd,as to the difpo- fition and manner, whereby they performed. For this reafon we endearour to find out, and alledge many feveral caufes of folftices, fet- tings, rifings, eclipfes and the like, conform¬ able to things of the like kind, which happen amongft us on the earth. ^
‘ Befides we mufl: not think^ that an accurate enquiry after thefe things, conduceth to acqui- fition of tranquillity and felicity, In fuperiour things, and others that are obfeure, we ought to feek out caufes^ according to the feveral ways by which the like things happen amongft us, defpifing thofe who neither know one cer¬ tain way by w'hich a thing is effefted, nor a manifold way, but content themfelves only with the appearance of things as prefented at that diftrance, and yet are ignorant in what confifts or not confifts imperturbation. T ruly, if we conceive it may fall out, that a thing may be done, one certain way, and thereupon we are not troubled ; truly I fay, knowing on the other fide,that the fame thing maybe etfeft- cd rdany feveral ways, we lhall be no lefs un- diffcurbed, than if we knew it could be done by a certain way.
‘ But whenfoever one has a mind to adhere to, or defend any thing that is likely in itfelf, that explication is fufficient in this prefent fubjed which ru ns congruoufly, according to the mani¬ fold ways the Phanomena’s afford us. Yet is it neceflary to derive our conjedures concern¬ ing fuperiour things,from thofe which arc done amongft US', from thofe, I fay, which are ob- ferv’d to referable thofe in thofe which are lecn above : For thofethings arc 6ffeded feveral
nifeft to fenfe ; but withal, they feem not fo much to be pure fires,as fome mixed concretions, to which fire is annext.
Gr, it may be, they are, as it were, certain glalfy fmooth difhes , capable to receive the bright, fiery little Bodies, which, coming from the xtherial Region thorough which they run, light upon them, and fo refled them, and ihew then! to us in that form wherein they appear ; For the like is done amongft us. Or that they may be clouds, enlighcned, and , as it were, enkindled • for thofe Meteors,called the Parelii’ are caufed no other way. I
Or, it may be, they arc, as it were, deep veflels, containing fire in their hollow part, like a Lanthorn, or a Chafing difti, which holdeth coles, or melting metals. Or, they may be, as it were, glowing plates, or, as it Were, ftones burning in a furnance ; for there is nothing in all thefe that implies a contradidion.
In like manner, the Sun in particular may be nothing elfe, but a thick kind of clod, which being like a pumice, or a fpunge ful of pores, and little holes, may, containing fire, dart light out of them.
Onely the moft: impofTible thing feems to be what fome aflert, that the Stars are animate^ or fo many Animals, and moreover, foniany gods. For though we fhould grant, that each of tlieni is a kind of World, or rather, as it were, an Earth , which hath not onely an Air , but an aether peculiar to itfelf. Neverthelefs, as this our Earth, though it produceth Animals, is not therefore itfelf an Animal - fo neither would the Stars be, although we flioUld grant that fome Animals may be generated in them.
But if we ftiould admit this, yet what they
ways; wherefore alfo that which appeafethKo’^ther prefs, that there are fuch a kind of round in every fuperiour thing, is to be eonfidered by |*nd rolling gods, needs to be repeated onely 5 thofe thing, which agree with it,and which may we formerly proved that thefe are prodigious
be effeded feveral ways amongft us, as feveral I fancies, not of difcourfing but dreaming Philo- things may happen. I fophers,when exprefling inmortal beings by the
But I infift too much hereupon. To come language proper to mortal, , they prouounce therefore to the bufmefs. Although the whole things fo contrary to the felicity of the gods. Region above Earth is fometimes called Heaven, I ^nd which feem fo far beneath their excellent for even the nearer part of it, the Air, is fom- I nature.
times called lo too ; yet by the word Heaven I "The Stars have been already diftinguifhed in- and .£ther we will underftand the fuperiour part 1 two kinds ; fome are fixed, which obferve the of the Region, which containeth the Stars ; and, f^mepofition from one another, and keep the by Air, the inferiour, in which Clouds, Light- 1 fame courfe from Eaft to Weft, never altering ning, and the like are generated. We fhall be- 1 it- Others are wandring, vvherice called Planets gin with the celeftial fuperiour things, and fpeak jot erratick Stars,becaufe they never obferve the
afterwards of the Aerial.
CHAP. I.
Of thi Subjiance and Variety of the Stars
fame pofition, either towards one another, lior to the reft • and fometmes perform their courfes nigher the North, fometimes nigher the South.
If you demand from whehce this diverfity Z4e>to proceeds, 1 fhall fay, that it may be the Stars were from the beginning moved round^ with fuch a ntcef- fity^ that fome took a circular mofion uniform and e-
WE muft firft lay down what was formerly ven ; others^ an irregular and unequal one.
touched, that the Sun^ Moon^ and other It may aljo he., that, in theylaces thorough ivhich Stars , were not made apart , and afterwards they movtyheremay be fome even diffufion of fpuces.^ brought into the World, but received their figure ,\ which may errry them on the fame way one after augmentation, and magnitude, immediately, and another, whereby they may move evenly fbut that elfe- together with the World, ( as the Earth, the Sea, and where they may be uneven for the fame reafon • whatfoever vs in the World, ) by tbs eoagmentations varieties which toe obferve in their niotions proceed- and convolutions made within it, of fome more tenu- 1 ing from hence'.
ious natures , and thofe either aerial, or fiery, or\ To alledge one onely caufe for theft, feeing that both for this our fenfe fuggefls to us. thePhanomena's argue that the caufes maybe many, is
Hence fome Stars feem to be of more fiery fub- madnefs, and not rightly eonfidered by tbofe,wbo doti ftance, efpecially the Sun, whofc heat is fa ma- ‘ G g g g 2
EPICURUS. PART XIII;
on vain AflYology .^and trivially explain the caufe of fome things^ and in the fnean time will not allow the divine nature ( to which they aicribe rnoft of thefe ) to he free from the task of fever al trouhle- fome offices.
■ CHAP. II.
i '
Of the Magnitude and Figure of the Stars.
AS concerning the magnitude of the Sun, and of the reft of the Stars, it may be conlidered, cither as to us, or in itfelf. As to z«, it is fo.tnueh as it appeareth to be^ for the fenfe is not deceived ; and whatfoever magnitude the eye fecth in them, is fuch in them, for they have not any other thing immediately encompafling them without, which is vifible nor any thing of their own, which falls not within view of the eye.
But this magnitude confidered it itfelf, or as to the thing itfelf may be either fomwhat greater., or fomwhat kjfe>\ or exallly fo much as it appears to be. For with fuch variety are fires prefented to our fenfes-, feen at a diftance., in the day~$ime, or by nighty For either they are juft fo bigas they feem , as the light of a candle if we look near it ; or lefler,as when we fee the fame light im the day-time at diftance •, or greater than indeed they are, as when the fame light is feen in the night-time afar off,
I fay, fomwhat greater or lelfer, in regard this diverfity betwixt the appearance and the true compafs cannot be very great, as may be. evinced from our ordinary fires ; for, from what biftance foever we perceive the heat of any fire, from the fame its juft form appeareth to us. In like manner, fince we perceive. the heat of the Sun here from the place where he feemeth tO' us ' to be , his juft magnitude canpot be fenfibly different. ...
That nothing perceivable is taken off from the Stars by this diftance,is confirmed ^ becaufe thofe things which we behold at a great diftance,.and muchAir mediating between jare prefented to us with a confufed clvcumference •, but the Sun, to thofe who can look upon him, appears to be of an exad compafs • nor can any thing be feen more diftinftly than the circumference of the Moon. There are indeed fame Stars which twinkle , and feem to fhoot forth trembling beams-, but upon another account,this argues they are fq near, as to be feen exaftly. For fires a^ mongft us feem, in like manner, to wave and tremble, when we behold them at a diftance, which, near at hand,feem fixed and conftant.
Again,, this is confirmed, becaufe, if the Stars did lofe their due magnitude by reafon of dift¬ ance, they would much more lofe their colour ; for we know, that a thing at diftance eeafeth to be feeii in its native colour, fooner than by reafon of its littlenefs it totally difappears, or comes not to be feen at all. But though there be no diftance more capable to effed this, ( for there is not any length greater, ) yet the Stars do not therefore lofe their true colour.
.Many things may be objected againfl this., but they arc e.'ifiiy folv^d, if a man flick clofe to thofe things which are manifefi to us^ as we have /hewed
in our Books concerning Nature, where we bring in this diftindion of magnitude, conficfered in' itfelf, and, , avoiding to us, we declared, that peither he did abfurdly, w'ho faid. The Sun is a foot broad ; nor he that faid. It was many times bigger than Peloponnefus ; nor he who faid It is of equal bignefs with the Earth , forafmuch as of things, "which in tliemlelves pre greater and leffer, there may be as to us one magnitude, according as they are nearer or farther off.
As for the figure, 1 fliall onely fay, that fince it appeareth round to us, it is globous and plain like a Plate, and therefore the Stars are either as dilhes, or as cylinders, or as cones and tops, or as certain nails fixed in the Sky. For none of thefe hath any thing that imply eth a contra- didion, nor diffonancy from the phaenomena.
CHAP. III.
How the Stars move, out-run one another, and art turned round,
HAvlng faid, not long fince, that, of the Stars, fome are fixed, others erratkk,and that this difference proceeds from their having different motions ; wc itiuft now fay, in general, Lien, that the motions of both may be made either by the turning about of the whole Heaven, in which one or more of them are, fuppofing it to be folid, and carying them about with it, like nails faftned into it or elfe,the Heaven ftanding ftill,
'as a fluid qr pervious thing, by their being whirl- , ed about, and. moved thorough' it.
Now forafmuch, as whether it be the motion of; the. Heaven, or the Stars, it nj^y have
begun from a neceffity made at the very time .that tljej .World was generjated, and imprefs’d eaft-wardly i it might in the firft cafe,- ( that is, if it be in the whole Heaven, ) both have begun, and be continued by the hurry of fome Air. For there may be a two-fold extrinfecal Air ; one,prefling from above, and driving the Heaven towards the Weft • the other lifting it up as it wei;e,and carrying it on, and that ocher- wife than the former, which on all fides preffes and fixes the Poles. In: the fecond cafe, ( that is if the motion be in the Stars themfelves, ) it may have been, either by hurry of Air, or by the courfe of the fire.
For ifmay have been from the very beginning, that a great company of little Bodies, evapora¬ ting, and diffufing themfelver, might break the Air,and force their praffage thorough it and the Air , receiving this motion of the Wind, and hurrying the Stars along with it, might carry them about, . and caufe that continual circular Motion, which is ftill feen above in them. It might alfo be,that the proper fire of every Star, either being fhut up clofe and feeking a vent, might begin to turn about, and continue ftill as it began ; or, being at greater liberty, might move in this falhion that way, unto which the food or aliment of each invites them, and fo go on,thorough its heat and defire of aliment to the next Bodies which were fuel convenient to nourifh it.
None of all thefe is repugnant to the Phseno- nena^j, *, but otherwife, we canot eafily deter¬ mine