THE SECOND BOOKE OF 



THE HISTORTE OF NATVRE, 



WRITTEN BY C. P L I N I Y S 



SEC VND vs. 

 Chap, t 



^ Whether the Worldbe finite ^and hut one. 



He World) and this, which by another name men hav^ 

 thought good to call Heaven (under the pourprife and ben- 

 ding cope whereof^ all thingsareemmanteled and covered) 

 beleeve wee ought in all reafon to be a God^ eternall,unmca- 

 furablcj without beginnings and likewilecndlefie. What is 

 without the compafle hereof , neither is it fit for men to 

 fearchjnor within mans wit to reach and conceive. Sacred it 

 isjevcrlafting, infinite^ all in allj or rather it felfe all and abfo- 

 lute: finite and limited, yet (eeming infinite: in all motions,; 

 orderly and ccrtaine: howbcit in fhew and judgement of man, 

 uncertaine: comprehending and containing all whatfoever, 



both without and within: Natures workjand yet very Nature i£ 



D felfe, producing all things. Great follie it is then, and meere madnefleathat fome have dcvifed 

 and thought in their mind to mcafure it ; yeajand durft in writing fet down the dimenfions ther* 

 of: that others againe, by occafion hereupon taken or given^ have delivered and taughtj Thac 

 worlds there were innumerable : as if we were to beleeve To many natures as there were Heavc;ns t 

 or if all were reduced to one, yet there (hould bee (b many funnes and moonesnevertheleflc^ 

 with the reft alfoofthofeunmeafurable and innumerable ftarres in that one: as though in this 

 piuralitie of worlds we ihould not alwaies meet with the fame queftion ftill at every turne of out 

 cogitation/or want of the utmoft and fome end to reft upon : or^if this infinitenelfe could pof- 

 fibiy be affigned to Nature, the worke-miftrefle and mother of all; the fame might not bee un* 

 derftood more eafily in that one Heaven which we fee 5 fo great a worke efpecially and frame as 

 E it is.Now furely a fantafticall follie it is of all other follies,to goe forth of itjand fo to keepe a fee- 

 king without,asifall things within were well and cleerelyknownealreadie: as who would fay, a 

 man could take the meafure juft of any third thing, who knowech not his owne : or the mind of 

 man fee thofe thingSjwhich the very world it felfe may not receive* 



Chap* II, 



t^Of the forme iirtdfgHre of the World. 



Hat the forme of heaven is roundjin falhion of an abiblutc and perfect globe<j 

 the name thereof principally^and the confent of all men agreeing to call it in 

 Latine Orhis^uz roundle jas alfo many naturall reafons,do evidently (hew: to 

 wit,not only for that fuch a figure every way falleth and bendeth upon it felfe, 

 is able to beare and uphold it felfe, includeth and comprifeth it felfe, having 

 I need thereto of no jointSj as finding in any part therof no end nor beginning : 

 orbecaufe this forme agreethbeft to that motion^ whereby ever and anon it muft turne about s 



P (as 



