318 DE PRINCIPIIS ATQUE ORIGINIBUS, 



pertiri ; primo ut non augeatur nee minuatur per for- 

 mas et activa entia, sed summa universali constet: 1 

 deinde ut motus gravitatis sive descensus ad illam 

 referatur; 2 ettam quiddam de nigredine materiae in- 

 jieit. 3 Illud autem perspicue ; calorem et frigus ea- 

 dem vi et copia, in materia expli.eata vires remitters, 

 in complioata intendere, cum mensuram non suam sed 

 materiae impleant. 4 Modum vero excogitat atque ex- 

 plicat Tele^ius, quo ex hoc certamine et lucta induci 

 atque expediri possit tarn foecunda et multiplex entium 

 generatio. Ac primo cavet terras, inferiori scilicet 

 principle, ac ostendit quid in causa sit cur a sole terra 

 jampridem destructa et absorpta non sit, nee in futu- 

 rum esse possit. 5 -Caput huic rei distantiam ponit 

 terrae a stellis fixis immensam, a sole ipso satis mag- 



stertunt nihilque contra agunt alters, sed strenue repugnant, et dum non 

 penitus pereunt contrarias et ipsaj oppugnant oblocduntque et imminuunt.&quot; 

 De Rer. Nat. i. 14. 



1 Materia; molem neque minui neque augeri unquam.&quot; Ib. i. 5. 



2 &quot;Communis ipsorum omnium (crassiorum entium) delapsus . . . moli 

 assignandus est.&quot; Ib. i. 4. The reason being, that it cannot be assigned 

 to heat which tends upwards, nor to cold which tends to immobility. 



8 See above, p. 311. n. 6. [The original has ingredine. J. S.} 



4 &quot; Quam . . . molis portionem sortitus est calor penitus illam is subiit 

 universam. . . . Calori frigorique illam ut libet effingendi disponendique, 

 non et efficiendi et veluti novam creandi, donata est vis.&quot; Ib. i. 5. 



5 The tenth chapter of Telesius s first book is teleological. &quot; Summa Dei 

 bonitas . . . ens nullum . . . perdi velit.&quot; For the preservation of the 

 universe and the balance of heat and cold, the earth is put in the middle 

 point of the heavens. The heavens and the earth are both spherical 

 the former according to the free and uniform motion of the different orbs, 

 and the latter that half of it may always be exposed to the sun s influence. 

 If the earth were larger and not in the centre of the universe, the power 

 of cold would predominate and destroy the lower part of heaven. For 

 the security of the earth, the density and heat of the heavens are not 

 uniform, and both sun and stars are at a great distance; and the oblique 

 and unequal motion of the sun prevents his remaining too long over any 

 part of the earth s surface. All this t agrees tolerably well with Bacon s 

 account of it, but to his fifth reason I do not find anything corresponding 

 in the text. 



