If, therefore, the whole and the universe were 

 generated, and are corruptible, they must, when 

 generated, have been changed from the less to the 

 greater, and from the worse to the better; but 

 when corrupted, they must be changed from the 

 greater to the less, and from the better to the 

 worse. Hence, if the world was generated, it 

 would receive increase, and would arrive at its 

 acme ; and again, it would afterwards receive de- 

 crease and an end. For every nature which has a 

 progression, possesses three boundaries and two 

 intervals. The three boundaries, therefore, are 

 generation, acme, and end ; but the intervals are, 

 the progression from generation to acme, and from 

 acme to the end. 



The whole, however, and the universe, affords, 

 as from itself, no indication of a thing of this kind ; 

 for neither do we perceive it rising into existence, 

 or becoming to be, nor changing to the better and 

 the greater, nor becoming at a certain time worse 

 or less ; but it always continues to subsist in the 

 same and a similar manner, and is itself perpetually 

 equal and similar to itself. 



Of the truth of this, the orders of things, their 

 symmetry, figurations, positions, intervals, powers, 

 swiftness and slowness with respect to each other ; 

 and, besides these, their numbers and temporal 

 periods, are clear signs and indications. For all 

 B 2 



