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number, aud they shall walk upright on two legs ; hut if they 
refuse to keep quiet for the futui’e, I will again divide them, 
each into two, so that they shall go hopping on one leg alone. 
Thus saying, Jupiter cut men into two parts, as people 
cut medlars when about to pickle them, or as they cut 
eggs with hairs Now when nature had been thus 
bisected, each half perceived with a longing desire its other 
self ; so throwing their arms around eacli other and becoming 
entwined, they had a great desire to grow together, but they 
died through famine aud idleness. And when one of these 
halves died, and the other was left, the survivor sought another 
moiety ; [which in the gentler sex is now termed by the 
chivalry of the day man’s “ better half.”] From this period 
has been implanted by nature in mankind a mutual love, which 
is the bringer together of their ancient nature, which endeavours 
to make one out of two, and to heal the nature of man. Such, 
then, was man’s original nature. We were once whole. To 
the desire and pursuit of this whole has the name of Love been 
given. We were originally one, but for our sins we have been 
cut in two. There is, therefore, reason to fear, unless we behave 
properly towards the gods, we shall be again cleft in twain, and 
go about with our noses split in twain, like those who are 
modelled on pillars in profile, aud become, as it were, pebbles 
cut through and cut smooth. It is meet, therefore, that every 
man should behave piously towards the gods, that we may, on 
the one hand, avoid the ills we know not of, and, on the other, 
find the good we desire to obtain.* 
42. We must not omit all notice of the atomic philosophi/ as 
enunciated by Leucippus, its founder, and more fully developed 
by his distinguished disciple Democritus. In order to explain 
his cosmological ideas, the latter maintained that there were in 
infinite space an infinite number of atoms or elementary par- 
ticles, homogeneous in quality but heterogeneous in form. 
These atoms were said to combine with one another, and that 
all things arise from the infinite variety of the form, order, and 
position of the atoms in forming combinations, which ho terms 
‘ f chance,” in opposition to the vovg or <f mind ” of Anaxagoras. 
43. Professor Tyndall, in his address to the British Associa- 
tion of 1874, has explained the philosophy of Democritus in 
thiswise. “ 1. From nothing comes nothing. Nothing that 
exists can be destroved. All changes are due to the combina- 
tion and separation of molecules. 2. Nothing happens by 
chance. Every occurrence has its cause, from which it follows 
* Plato’s Symposium or I'unx/mt. § Hi. 
