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

Sect. 5. Of the World.

THales held,* 1.1 that there was but one world, and that* 1.2 made by God; which truth was follow'd by all Philosophers, as* 1.3 Ari∣stotle confesseth, untill he rejected it, to defend, by the cont••a∣rie an assertion equally false, that the world is everlasting, which could not be, saith he, if it had beginning.

That* 1.4 the world being Gods work, is the fairest of things, whatsoever disposed in lively order, being a part thereof, for which reason Pytha∣goras (according to* 1.5 Plutarch) called it first 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

That night is elder then day. This circumstance of the creation was held likewise by* 1.6 Orpheus, and Hesiod, who had it from the Phoenicians: for this reason the* 1.7 Numidians,* 1.8 Germans,* 1.9 and * Gaules reckoned by nights.

That the* 1.10 world is animated, and that* 1.11 God is the soul thereof, dif∣fus'd through every part, whose divine moving vertue penetrats through the element of water. Thus explain'd by the Hermetick Philosophers; ••he divine spirit who produc'd this world out of the first water, being infus'd as it were, by a continuall inspiration into the works of nature, and diffus'd largely through, by a certain secret, and continuall act, moving the whole, and every parti∣cular according to its kind, is the soul of the world.

That the* 1.12 World is contained in place. This agrees with the de∣finition of place by space; but they who with Aristotle define place a superficies, though they hold the parts of the world to be in place, are forced to deny the whole to be so.

That in the world there is no vacuum,* 1.13 in which (as Plut••rch ob∣serves) all Philosophers agree, who affirm the world to be ani∣mated, and govern'd by providence; the contrary defended by those who maintain that it consisteth of Atomes, is inanimate, not governed by providence.

That* 1.14 matter is fluid and variable.

That* 1.15 Bodies are passible and divisible, in infinitum, and continuous as are also a line, supers••cies, place, and time.

That* 1.16 mistion is made by composition of the elements.

That * the starrs are earthly, yet fiery;* 1.17 the Sun earthly. They who affirm the starres to be fiery, saith * Aristotle, hold so, as conceiving the whole superiour body to be fire.

That the Moon is of the same nature with the Sun, that she is illu∣minat••d by him. Plutarch, and Stobaeus affirm this to be first held by Thales, though Eudemus cited by Theon ascribe it to Anaximan∣der.

That the monthly occulations of the Moon are caused by the neer∣ness of the Sun shining round her.

That there is but* 1.18 one earth,* 1.19 round, in fashion of a Globe,* 1.20 seated in the midst of the world, to which relates that speech ascribed to him by Cleodemus, that, if the earth were taken out of the world, there must of necessity follow a confusion of all things.

That* 1.21 the overflowing of Nilus is caused by the Etesian (yearly) winds, which rise with the Dog star,* 1.22 after the summer solstice, and beginning to b••ow from the North, spread (as* 1.23 Aristotle de∣scribes them) into remote quarters. These (saith* 1.24 Pluta••ch) blowing directly against Aegypt, cause the water so to swell, that the sea driven by these winds, entereth within the mouth of that River, and hindereth it, that it cannot discharge it selfe freely into the Sea, but is repulsed. Where∣upon (addes* 1.25 Diodorus Siculus) it overflowes Aegypt, which lyeth low and levell. But this reason, though it seem plausible, is easily disproved; for if this were true, all the Rivers which are discharged into the Sea, opposite to the Etesian winds, should have the same overflowing. Thus Diodorus in his excellent discourse upon this subject, which concludes with the opinion of Agatharchides, that it is occasion'd by rain, coming from the mountaines of Ethiopia.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Plutarch. de plac. phil. 2. 1.
• * 1.2

  Laert.
• * 1.3

  De Coclo. 1. 1••. 12.
• * 1.4

  Laert.
• * 1.5

  De plac. phil. 2. 1.
• * 1.6

  Timoth.
• * 1.7

  Damascen.
• * 1.8

  Tacit. de mor. Germ.
• * 1.9

  Caesar de bell•• Gail. ••.
• * 1.10

  Laert.
• * 1.11

  Plut. de plac. phil.
• * 1.12

  Laert. Plut. s••pt. sap. conviv.
• * 1.13

  Plut de plac. phil. 1. 18.
• * 1.14

  Plut. de plac. phil. 1. 9.
• * 1.15

  Plut. de pla phil. 1. 16.
• * 1.16

  Plut. de plat. phil. 2. 13. Achill. Ta••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in Arat.
• * 1.17

  De c••el••. 2. 7. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 de plac. phil. 2. 28.
• * 1.18

  Plut. de plac. phil. 3. 9.
• * 1.19

  Plut. de plac. phil. 3. 10.
• * 1.20

  Plut. de plac. phil. 3. 11.
• * 1.21

  Sept. sap. conviv
• * 1.22

  Laert.
• * 1.23

  Meteor. 2. 6.
• * 1.24

  De plac. phil.
• * 1.25

  Lib. 1.