part XIII.

E P I C U P U S.
extinguilhed, until going beyond them they re¬ new and recover it.
Thus ought the feveral ordinary wayes to be heeded, and fome of them alfo put together, it being poflible, that many caufcs may concur.
The periodical order ^ by which Eclipfes happen at certain times, is conceived to be kept tn like man- Uert. ner as among fi us in fome things ^as in the vicijfitude
of fcafons. 'There vs no need of recurring to the divine nature for the bringing ofthefe to pafs ; let us allow that to be free from all bufinefs^andexqui/itely happy.
Vnlefs t\m be done.^aU difcourfegof Caufes in fupe- riour things will be vain \ cvs hath already happened to fome^ who taking an impojfible courfe became fri¬ volous for that they approved only one f and rejefled all the refi^though they were pojfthle.^ and were tranf- portedto dream of that which exceeds the capacity of the Intellect.^ and were neither able to admit ^ as they ought, apparent ftgnes, nor underfand, as they fay, how to rejoyce with God.
(5 H A P. VII.
Of the Prefignifications of the Stars.
IT remains, we fpeak of the Prefignifications of the changes of the Air attributed to the Stars, as rain, wind, drought, heat, and the likc,which happen according to the time of the " ' rifing or fetting of certain Stars, as of the Dog, Orion, the Pleiades.
Thefe Prefignifications may be made either accord¬ ing to the condition of the Seafons, as it happens in thofe living creatures which being feen at one time Tfpith us, at another with others, pajfing hither and thither j are figns not caufes of the feafons for the rifing and fetting Stars may be not caufes but figns (f thofe mutations • or as it happens not certainty, but eafually, at what time the Stars rife or fet, there are caufes of fome mutation in the Air.
For neither of thofe is repugnant with things ap¬ parent •, and what caufe there may by, befides thefe ' agreeable with things apparent, we cannot perceive. It is not without fome teafon what I hinted of Prefignifications; which are obferved in fome Animals,to be made according to the condition of the feafon which at that time comes in,fo as the motions obferved in Animals only declare tempefts but make them not. As thofe for ex¬ ample, which depart from us in Autumne induce not any neceffity of the Winters being at that time ; Neither is there any divine nature which fits and marks the departure of living creatures •, that it may make good what is foretold by them.
This is a kind of folly that caniiot fall upon any Animal, in which there were the leafl: grain 6f wit;fofar is it from being in that nature which poflefleth all felicity.
CHAP, viii:
Of fomets, and thofe which are called Falling Stars.
Hat hath bedn hitherto fpoken of the Stars, belongs to the Sun and Moon, and Stars, which haying been mSde from the be- of the World conftantly inhere and ap- ^cjfr in Heaven. But befides thefe, there are
other Stars, which fomejmes are generated or newly appear, and after fome few dayes or Months either perifh or iye hid. They arc cal¬ led Comets, qtufi Comat^ StelU hairy-ftars, for that they have a long train, like hair. •
Some alfo there are, that laft but fpr a i»o- ment, vanifhing almofb afloon as they ajpi^ar ; and,feeming in fome kind of exciif fion to fall down, they are ordinarily termed, fallihg-Stars.
As for the Comets, f they may be generated ;
‘ Either for that fome fire is fomtimes kindled in *■ fome of thofe fiiperiour piaces,and being kind- ^ led is fora time nourifii’d and moved, accord- ‘ ing to the abundance and difpofition of the ‘ matter. Or elfe they appear, for that Heaven,
‘ as to that part which is over our heads, hath fome peculiar motion according t6''ieveral vi- ‘ ciffitudes, fo as thefe Stars are driven to be ‘ made manifeft. Or elfe, they coraq forth by ^ reafon of a certain difpofition at fome times ;
‘ and, aflbon as they come lower towards us,
‘ they become mariifeft.
‘Comets difappear tp our fight through the ‘ caufes contrar ytq t'beie.Tither the matter con- ‘venient for them ishpt.iDlaced aH alohg,as it is in ‘ that place where they are obferved to in- ‘ here, fo as by degrees through want of ali- ‘ ment, they confume as it, weir and go out, or * that lome thing opp'ofelVthere motion. And ‘ that may happen,not; o|ily for that j^fiis part of ‘ the World,round abbut.whicji the re^lt/is turn- ‘ ed^remaineth unmoveitjas fome affirm; bupal- ‘ fo, for that there may bedii the Ajg fomelra- ‘ petnous gyration,'., wtiiefi may their
‘ moving round, 'a,n^^-drwe- it a^^t5ft ,way',;as ‘may alfo happen tot'hebther Stats. yy]:iic]iaT6“
‘ called Planets at the jr^opicks.
‘ Moreover this may: mappenj ma^y other ‘ wayes, ifwedifcourfe li^bn' that whi^isconr ‘formableto thingt apparant.
As for thofe which nf,e calledr^falijii^'^t^sts,
‘ they may be made either by pleyes J^bken off ‘ from the .true Stars br^from the falling' dow n ‘ of that matter whereof there is l^iijd of dif- flation, as may happen alfo in lightning ; or ‘ from a company of igrii^yiag Atoms,. me5,^ng ‘ and joyning together to effeft it ; the motion ‘ being made, according as the forcc-of mcet- ‘ ing together was from thc^eginning. Or ‘ from the driving of wind up tdgether within ■ certain cloudy bottoms or windings, andfet- ‘ ting it a-fircwhilft it is rolled up anb down,;
‘ and breaking thorough the bottoms which ‘ reftrain them, and moving to that paft to- ‘ wards which that impulfion carries them.
, ‘ There are other wayes not fictitious, by ‘ Which this may be donel But of csleftial Me¬ teors, enough. ' •
n
i
G H A R
6oo
EPICURUS,
Lwret,
Lfert.
* nat.
Senee. Ibid.
A