102 COSMIC PHILOSOPHY. [ft. i. 



metaphysics upon the crude attempts of the ancients at 

 general science, in so far as concerns the method employed. 

 "We open the Timseus," says Mr. Lewes, "and learn that 

 the Universe was generated as an animal, with a soul, 

 because that was best. Whatever is generated must neces- 

 sarily have body, and be visible no less than tangible. 

 Nothing can be visible without Fire, nothing tangible with* 

 out a Solid, nothing solid without Earth. Tims the first 

 step in creation was the production of two elements. But 

 it is impossible for two things to cohere without the inter- 

 vention of a third. A bond is necessary, and of all bonds 

 the most beautiful is that which as nearly as possible unites 

 into one both itself and the things bound. Had the substance 

 of the universe been a superficies without depth, one medium 

 or bond would have sufficed : but as it was a solid, and solids 

 are never one only, but always joined by two bonds, there- 

 fore the Creator placed Water and Air between Fire and 

 Earth. These are the Four Elements, and the reason has 

 been given why they are only four. The elements are 

 fashioned into a perfect sphere, because the sphere is the 

 most perfect of figures, and most resembles itself. Although 

 this universe was made an animal, it was made becoming 

 and congruous. Hence it had neither eyes nor ears, there 

 being nothing external for it to see and hear ; no lungs, for it 

 needed not respiration ; no digestive organs ; no secretory 

 organs ; no feet, for its motion is peculiar, namely circular, 

 and circular motion requires no feet, since it is not pro- 

 gression. The mathematicians having discovered the five 

 regular solids, Plato naturally made great use of them in 

 his cosmology. Four of them were represented by the four 

 elements — the Earth was a Cube, Fire a Tetrahedron, Water 

 an Octahedron, and Air an Icosahedron. This left the fifth, 

 the Dodecahedron, without a representative ; accordingly, it 

 was assigned to the universe as a whole. ... It is needless 

 to add that Plato never thinks of offering any better reason 



