AND THEORY OF THE HEAVENS. 79 



single region and which are performed as it were upon 

 a common axis, the rotation of the fine matter cannot 

 proceed in this way. Because, according to the laws of 

 centrifugal motion, all the revolutions must intersect the 

 centre of attraction with the plane of their orbits ; but of 

 all these orbits round a common axis that move in one 

 direction, there is only one which cuts through the centre 

 of the sun. Hence all the matter on both sides of this 

 imaginary axis hurries to that circle which passes through 

 the rotation of the axis in the centre of the common 

 attraction, which circle is the plane of the reference of 

 all the revolving elements : around which plane they 

 accumulate as much as possible, and contrariwise leave 

 the regions at a distance from this plane empty. For 

 those elements which cannot come so near this plane to 

 which they are all pressing, will not be able to continue 

 to maintain themselves in the places where they are 

 moving, but, impinging on the elements floating around 

 them, this will cause them finally to fall into the sun. 



If we, therefore, consider this revolving elementary 

 matter of the world in that state into which it puts 

 itself by attraction and by the mechanical consequence 

 of the general laws of resistance, we see a region of 

 space extending from the centre of the sun to unknown 

 distances, contained between two planes not far distant 

 from each other, in the middle of which the general 

 plane of reference is situated. And this elementary 

 matter is diffused in this space within which all the 

 contained particles each according to the proportion 

 of its distance and of the attraction which prevails 

 there perform regulated circular movements in free 

 revolutions. And hence, as in this arrangement they 



