INFLUENCE ON RECENT SCIENCE 89 



matter and space, whose least parts are spheres and 

 smaller than any body we know, but they are much 

 larger than matter of the first kind. 



There is also a third kind of matter formed by con- 

 glomerate masses of the other two kinds, which have 

 become so linked and interlaced together as to be in- 

 separable, at least by human means. The pores of 

 these masses are filled with the spheres of the second 

 kind and the fragments of the first kind. 



The first kind of matter forms the sun and the fixed 

 stars ; the second kind is the material for the so-called 

 empty spaces of the heavens ; and the third is the basis 

 of the diversified bodies composing the earth, the 

 planets, and the comets. 



As stated before, this elementary matter was origi- 

 nally endowed with two kinds of motion: the rotation 

 of each particle about its own axis and the revolution 

 of many about a common axis, forming a vortex or 

 whirlpool. Descartes then portions out the heavens 

 so that the axis of a vortex will pass through the center 

 of each star, including the sun. The outer limit of 

 each vortex extends so far in every direction as to 

 touch the confines of each of the neighboring star- 

 vortices ; in this manner all space is occupied by them, 

 rushing about their several axes with a velocity de- 

 creasing as the distance from the axis increases. It 

 is naturally a problem of great intricacy to place these 

 immense vortices so that they will not interfere with 



