Chap. 2 . A TrtAtife ^/BODIES. 



parties) that may (erve for a mcafure unto it; and then anAver, 

 That it is as big as it, or twice as big, or not half fo big, or the 

 like : in fine., that it is bigger or lefler then another thing, or 

 equall to ir. 



It is of main importance to have this point throughly and 

 clearly mulerftood; therefore it will not be amuTe to turn it and 

 view it a little more particularly. Jf you ask what quantity 

 there is of iuch a parcell of cloth , how much wood in fucha 

 piece of timber, ho 1 v much gold in iuch an ingott how much 

 wine in fuch a veflel, how much rime was taken up in fuch an 

 a6tion?he that is to give you an account of them meafureth them 

 by ells, by feet, by inches, by pounds, by ounces by g Jlons. by 

 pints, by dayev, by hourcs, and the like; and then cclleth you, 

 how many of thole parts are in the whole that you enquire of. 

 Which anfwer, every man living will at the inftant, without 

 ftudy, make to this queftion; and with it, every man that fhall 

 ask will be fully appayed and fatisfied : fo that it is moft evi- 

 dent, it fully exprefleth the notions of them both , and of all 

 mankind, in this particular. 



Wherefore, when we consider that Quantity is nothing elfe, 

 but the extenfion of a thing; and that this extenfion is exprefled 

 by a determinate number of lefler extenfions of the fame nature; 

 ('which lefler ones, arc {boner and more eafily apprehended 

 then greater bccaufe we are rirft acquainted and converfanc 

 with iuch ; and pur understanding grafpeth, weigheth and di- 

 cerneth fuch morefteadily ; and maketh an exaer judgement 

 of them ) and that fuch letter ones are in the greater which they 

 mcafure, as parts in a whole; and that the whole by compre- 

 hending thofe parts, is a mere capacity to be divided into them; 

 we concludc,That Quantity or BigHefle^s nothing elfe but divi- 

 fibility ; and that a thing is big, by having a capacity to be di 

 vided or ( which is the fame ) to have parts made of it. 



This is yet more evident ( if more may bo)in Difcretc Quan- 

 tity ( that is, in number ) then in continued Quantity, or ex- 

 tenfion. For if we con/lder any number whatfoever, we fhall 

 find the eflence of it confifteth in a capacity of being refolved 

 and divided into fo many unities, a$ are contained in ft; which 

 are the parts of it. And this fpecics of Quantity being fimpler 

 tlien the other, fcrveth for a rule to determine h by ; as we may 



obfervc 



