The history of philosophy, in eight parts by Thomas Stanley.

CHAP. II.

Of his opinions.

Sect. 1. Of the first principles, and beginning of things.

HE held that the materiall principle of all things is one and ma∣ny (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) par••s in••inite, similar, and contrary, continuous to the touch,* 1.1 sustaining themselves,* 1.2 not contain'd by any other.* 1.3 His grounds these: First, because, according to the common rule of naturall Philosophers, of nothing proceeds nothing, it is not possible any thing can be made of that which is not; or that which hath a being can be resolved into that which hath none, Secondly, because contraries are made mutually of each other, therefore they were in each other before; for if it be necessary, that whatsoever is made, be made of that which is, or is not, but that it should be made of that which is not impossible, wherein all agree, that ever discoursed upon nature, it followes necessarily, that they be made of things that are, and are with∣in these very things, though by reason of their smallnesse, not discernable by us: Hence is it that they say, every thing is mixt with every thing; because they see any thing made of any thing: but things seem different, and are called diverse in re∣spect to one another, by reason that the multitude of infinites which are within aboundeth in the mistion; for the whole is neither quite white nor black, flesh nor bone, but every thing seemeth to be of the nature of that whereof it hath most* 1.4 of simple nourishment, as bread, water, and the like, are bred the hair, veines, arteries, nerves, bones, and other parts of the bo∣dy, all things are therefore in this food, as nerves, bones, and the like, discernable by reason, though not by sense: Of these Atomes the whole world consisteth,* 1.5 as gold of grains; these homogeneall parts are the matter of all things▪ his opinion is thus exprest by* 1.6 Lucretius.

Next Anaxagoras we must pursue, And his Homoiomeria review; A term that's no where mention'd but among The Greeks; too copious for our na••row tongue: Yet may the sense be in more words arraid; The principle of all things, entrailes made Of smallest entrails, bone of smallest bone, Blood of small sanguine drops reduc'd to one; Gold of small graines, earth of small sands compacted, Small drops to water, sparks to fire contracted; The like in every thing suppos'd, yet he

Nature asserted from all vacuum free; And held that each corporeall being might Be subdivided into infinite.

That* 1.7 God is an infinite selfe-moving mind, that this di∣vine * 1.8 infinite mind, not inclosed in any body,* 1.9 is the efficient cause of all things; out of the infinite matter consisting of simi∣lar parts, every thing being made according to its species by the divine minde, who, when all things were at first con∣fusedly mingled together, came and reduced them to order.

Sect 2. Of the Heavens.

That the higher parts of the world are full office, the power that is there he called aether, and that properly, saith Aristotle,* 1.10 for the body, which is continually in quick motion, is conceived to be divine by nature, for that reason called aether, none of those that are here below being of that kind.

That

* 1.11 the ambient aether being of a fiery nature by the swiftnesse of its motion, snatcheth up stones from the earth, which being set on fire, become starres,* 1.12 all carried from East to West.

That* 1.13

the Startes are impelled by the condensation of the aire about the Poles, which the Sun makes more strong by compressing.

That

the starres are earthly, and that after the first secreti∣on of the Elements, the fire separating it selfe, drew some parts of the earth to its own nature, and made them like fire: Whereupon he farther affirmed

* 1.14 The Sun is a burning plate or stone,* 1.15 many times bigger

then Peloponnesus, whose conversionn is made by the repulse of the Northern aire, which he, by compressing, makes more strong.

* 1.16

the Moon is a dark body, enlightned by the Sun, habitable, having plaines, hills and waters; that* 1.17 the ine∣quality in her face proceeds from a mixture, cold and earth∣ly, for there is darknesse mixt with her fiery nature, whence she is called a star of false light.

* 1.18 Plato saith, that the Moon was occasion of dishonour to him, because he assumed the ori∣ginall of this opinion of her borrowing light to himselfe, where∣as it was much moreantient.

That

* 1.19 the milky way is the shadow of the earth upon that part of heaven, when the Sun, being underneath, enlightens not all:

* 1.20 Or as Aristotle, that

the Milkie way is the light of some starres, for the Sun being under the earth, looks not upon some starres, the light of those on whom he looks is not seen, being swallowed up in his; the proper light of those

which are hindred by the earth from the Suns illumination, is the Galaxy;

Laertius saith,

he held the Galaxy to be the re∣flection of the light of the Sun.

Sect. 3. Of Meteors.

THat

Comets are the co••apparition of wandring starres,

* 1.21 which approach so near each other, as that they seem to touch one another: Or as Laertius;

the concourse of Planets, emitting flames.

That

falling starres are shot down from the aether, as spar∣kles, and therefore soon extinguished.

That

* 1.22 Thunder is the collision of Clouds, lightning their mutuall attrition:

Or as Plutarch;

the cold falling upon the hot, or the aetheriall,* 1.23 upon the aeriall, the noise which it makes is Thunder: of the blacknesse of the cloud is caused lightning, of the greatnesse of the light Thunderbolts, of the more corporeall fire whirle-winds, of the more cloudy Pre∣sters.

That

lightning distills from the aether;

and that

from that great heat of Heaven many things fall down, which the clouds preserve a long time enclosed.

That the

Rain-bow is a refraction of the Suns light upon a thick dark cloud,

* 1.24 opposite to him as a looking glasse; by the same reason (faith he) appeared chiefly in Pontus, two, or more Suns.

That

Earth quakes are caused by the aire or aether, which being of its own nature apt to ascend,* 1.25 when it gets into the veines and cavernes of the earth, finding difficulty in the getting out, causeth that shaking; for the upper parts of the earth contract themselves by the benefit of rain, Na∣ture having made the whole body thereof alike, laxe and spungy, the parts, as in a Ball, superiour, and inferiour, the superiour, that which is inhabited by us, the inferiour, the other: This wind getting into the inferiour parts, breaks the condensed aire, with the same force as we see clouds broken, when, upon the collision of them, and motion of the agitated aire, sire breaks forth: this aire falls upon that which is next, seeking to get out, and tears in pieces whatsoever it meets, untill through those narrow passages, it either finds a way to Heaven, or forceth one: which Laer••ius obscurely expresseth, the repulsion of the air upon the earth.

THat

Snow is not white,* 1.26 but black, nor did it seem white to him, because he knew the water whereof it is congealed to be black.

Sect 4. Of the Earth.

THat

the begining of motion proceeding from the mind,

* 1.27 the heavie bodies obtained the lowest place, as the earth;

the light the highest, as the fire; those betwixt both, the middle, as the aire and water: thus the sea subsists upon the superficies of the earth, which is flat, the humidity being ratified by the Sun.

That

the primitive humidity being diffused,* 1.28 as a pool was burned by the motion of the Sun about it, and the unctuous part bring exhaled, the remainder became salt.

That

assoon as the world was made,* 1.29 and living creatures produced out of the world, the world enclined of it selfe to∣wards the south, according to divine providence; that some parts thereof might be habitable, others not habitable, by reason of the extremities of heat and cold.

That

the mistion of the Elements is by apposition.* 1.30

That

the inundation of Nilus is caused by the snow of Ae∣thiopia, which is dissolved in summer,* 1.31 and congealed in win∣ter.

Sect 5. Of living Creatures.

THat

Creatures were first generated of humidity, calidity,* 1.32 and earthly matter, afterwards mutually of one another, males on the right side, females on the left.

That

the soule is that which moveth,* 1.33 that it is aeriall, and hath a body of the nature of aire.

* 1.34 That there is a death of the soule likewise, which is separa∣tion from the body.

That all Animalls have active reason.

* 1.35 That sleep is an action of the body, not of the soul.

* 1.36 That in the hand of man consists all his skill.

* 1.37 That

the voice is made by the wind, hitting against firm resisting air, returning the counter-blow to our ears, which is the manner whereby also the repercussion of the air is formed, called Eccho.

That

the Gall is the cause of acute diseases, which over∣flowing, is dispersed into the lungs, veines, and costs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••lut. plac. phil. 1. 3.
• * 1.2

  Arist. phys. 3. 4
• * 1.3

  Arist. phys. 3. 7
• * 1.4

  Plut.
• * 1.5

  Laert.
• * 1.6

  Lib. 1.
• * 1.7

  Lactan. fals. rel. 1. 5.
• * 1.8

  Cic. nat. deor. 1
• * 1.9

  August. cir. de••. 8. 2.
• * 1.10

  Aristot. Met. 1. 3.
• * 1.11

  Plut. plac. phil. 2. 13.
• * 1.12

  Plut. plac. phil. 2. 16.
• * 1.13

  plut, plac. phil. 2. 23.
• * 1.14

  Plut. plac. phil. 2. 20. La∣ert. Achil. Tat. Isag. in Arat.
• * 1.15

  Plut. plac. phil. 2. 21.
• * 1.16

  Plut. plac. phil. 2. 25.
• * 1.17

  Plut. plac. phil. 2. 30. Laert.
• * 1.18

  In Cratylo.
• * 1.19

  Plut. plac. phil.
• * 1.20

  Mei••eor. 1. 8.
• * 1.21

  Arist. Meteor. 1. 6.
• * 1.22

  Laert.
• * 1.23

  Plut. plac. phil. 3. 3.
• * 1.24

  Plut. plac. phil. 3. 5.
• * 1.25

  Arist. Meteor. 2. 7. Plut. plac▪ phil. 3. 15. Se∣nec. nat. quaest. 6.
• * 1.26

  Cic. Acad. qu••st. 4.
• * 1.27

  Laert.
• * 1.28

  Plut. plac. phil. 3. 16.
• * 1.29

  Plut. plac. phil. 2. 8.
• * 1.30

  Plut. plac. phil. 1. 17.
• * 1.31

  Plut. plac. phil. 4. 1.
• * 1.32

  Laert.
• * 1.33

  Plu▪ plac. phil. 4. ••.
• * 1.34

  plut plac. phil. 5. 24.
• * 1.35

  Plut. plac. phil. 5. 25.
• * 1.36

  Plut. plac. phil. 5. 25.
• * 1.37

  Plut. de am••∣re frat.