Chap. III. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. li- 



able being; and that Is, change hfelf ; for to that genw,^ motion un- 

 doubtedly belongs. 



Thus far, therefore, a philofopher eafily proceeds in this inveni- 

 gation : But it is only a fhort way ; for we have but a very im per- 

 fect idea of motion^ if we know no more cf it than that it is th.mge; 

 nor can we, by fuch an account of it, fufficiently diftinguifh it from 

 another univerfal which has a great connection with it, but is diffe- 

 rent, as lliall be afterwards fhown; I mean time. We muft therefore 

 know fomething more particular about it; and, as all change is from 

 fomething to fomething, we muft inquire from ivhat^ and to ivhat 

 motion is a change. And in this inquiry we muft have again recourfe 

 to nature^ the great architect of all fcience and all art. And I hope 

 to fhow, that Ariftotle's definition of mioton (for it is not mine) is as 

 much founded in nature, as the definition I have given of boc-Ij and 

 77nW, and proceeds from a view as compreheniive of the nature of 

 things, as it is acute and penetrating. 



That nature does nothing in vain or at random, but propofes fome 

 end in all her operations snd productions, muft be admitted by every 

 one who believes that this univerfeis produced and governed by ?nincf, 

 and not by blind chance. And indeed, in moft things, it is obvious, 

 not only to the philofophical, but to the common obferver. For it is 

 of the effence of ?nind to do every thing for fome purpofe ; even fub- 

 ordinate minds, we fee, ad in that manner, always propofing fomething 

 ?s their end ; and much more mult the great Mind, that animates and 

 direds this univerfe, ad fo. When that end, propofed by nature in 

 her produdions, is attained, then is the thing laid to be in its natural 

 Jiau, and which muft necefi'arily be the perfedion of its natwe. '1 his 

 ftarc, in the language of Ariftotle's philofophy. is called entelecheia, a 

 word made by himfclf, which, from its compofnion, denotes /J^r^/^r- 



tlon, 



