46 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 



which all natural things concur and meet, the same 

 ihat in the fore-cited scripture is demonstrated in 

 these words, &quot; Opus, quod operatus estDeus a princi- 

 &quot;pio usque ad finem/ the work that God hath wrought 

 from the beginning even to the end. But Demo- 

 critus which entered more deeply into the considera 

 tion of this point, after he had conceived an atom 

 with some small dimension and form, he attributed 

 unto it one only desire, or first motion simply or ab 

 solutely, and another comparatively or in respect : 

 for he thought that all things did properly tend to 

 the centre of the world, whereof those bodies which 

 were more material, descend with swifter motion, 

 and those that had less matter did on the contrary 

 tend upward. But this meditation was very shallow, 

 containing less than was expedient : for neither the 

 turning of the celestial bodies in a round, nor 

 shutting and opening of things may seem to be re 

 duced or applied to this beginning. And as for that 

 opinion of Epicurus concerning the casual declination 

 and agitation of the atom, it is but a mere toy, and 

 a plain evidence, that he was ignorant of that point. 

 It is therefore more apparent, than we could wish, 

 that this Cupid, or Love, remains as yet clouded 

 under the shades of night. Now as concerning his 

 attributes : he is elegantly described with perpetual 

 infancy or childhood, because compound bodies they 

 seem greater and more stricken in years; whereas 

 the first seeds of things or atoms, they are little and 

 diminute, and always in their infancy. 



He is also well feigned to be naked, because all 



