EPICURUS. 
358 
perttes of body, incapable of action or paflion, is the 
region which is or may be occupied by body, and which 
affords it an opportunity of moving freely. That there 
are bodies in the univerfe, is attefted by the fenfes. That 
there is alfo fpace, is evident; fince otherwife bodies 
would have no place in which to move or exift ; and of 
their exigence and motion we have the certain proof of 
perception. Befides thefe, no third nature can be con¬ 
ceived. The univerfe, confifring of body and fpace, is 
infinite, for it has no limits. Bodies are infinite in mul¬ 
titude ; fpace is infinite in magnitude. The univerfe is 
to be conceived as immovable, and as eternal and immu¬ 
table ; neverthelefs, the parts of the univerfe are in mo¬ 
tion, and are fubjedt to change. All bodies confift of 
parts, of which they are compofed, and into which they 
may be refolved; and thefe parts are either themfelves 
Ample principles, or may be refolved into fuch. Thefe 
firft principles, or Ample atoms , are divilible by no force, 
and therefore muft be immutable. A finite body cannot 
confift of parts infinite, .either in magnitude or number ; 
divifibility of bodies in infinitum is therefore inconceivable. 
All atoms are of the fame nature, or differ in no efl'ential 
qualities. From their different effects upon the fenfes, 
it appears, however, that they differ in magnitude, figure, 
and weight. Gravity muff be an effential property of 
atoms; for, fince they are perpetually in motion, or mak¬ 
ing an effort to move, they muff be moved by an internal 
impulfe, which may be called gravity. Atoms, by this 
internal force, are carried forwards in a diredlion which 
is nearly, but not exadfly, redfilineal; and whilft they 
pafs through free fpace, this declination from the right 
line occafions a cafual concurrence of corpufcles of dif¬ 
ferent forms. In compound maffes of atoms, the efforts 
of fome of the particles towards motion in different di¬ 
rections being repreffed by the efforts of others, an uni- 
verfal agitation muft take place. The principle of gra¬ 
vity being efl’ential to the primary corpufcles or atoms, 
they muft have been neceffarily and from eternity in 
adtual motion. Atoms are not only the elements from 
■which all things are compounded, but that energy or 
principle of motion which effentially belongs to them, is 
the foie agent in the operations of nature. Every com¬ 
pound body poffeffes the energy of all the atoms of which 
it is compofed, but varioufly modified according to the 
refpedtive figures and relative fituations of its component 
parts. All the changes which take place in the figure, 
and other properties of bodies, confift in local motion. 
As different words are formed from the different combi¬ 
nations of the fame letters, fo different qualities are pro¬ 
duced by the different arrangement of the fame particles. 
Bodies'are more or lefs rare, in proportion to the magni¬ 
tude of the vacuities which intercept the folid atoms of 
which they are compofed. Tranfparency, hardnefs and 
foftnefs, flexibility, ductility, and other qualities, are to 
be explained upon thefe principles. From the combina¬ 
tion of the properties of atoms, and the qualities of bodies 
already enumerated, arife other properties and faculties, 
which are likewife to be traced up to the principle of 
motion; as heat and cold. Pleafure and pain, motion 
and reft, and even time, are accidents of bodies. The 
world, or that portion of the univerfe which includes the 
whole circumference of the heavens, the heavenly bodies, 
the earth, and all vifible objeCts, is to be conceived as 
one whole, on account of the contiguity and relation of 
its parts ; but there is no proof that it is an organifed and 
•animated body. The world is not eternal, but began at 
fome time to exift; for, fince every thing in the world is 
liable to the vicifiitudes of production and decay, the 
world itfelf muft be fo too. The formation of the world 
may be conceived to have happened thus: A finite num¬ 
ber of that infinite multitude of atoms, which, with infi¬ 
nite fpace, conftitute the univerfe, falling fortuitouffy 
into the region of the world, were in confequence of their 
innate motion collected into one rude and indigefted mafs. 
In this chaos, the heavieft and largeft atoms, or collec¬ 
tions of atoms, firft fubfided, whilft the fmaller, and thofe 
which from their form would move moft freely, were 
driven upwards. Thefe latter, after many reverberations, 
rofe into the outer region of the world, and formed'the 
heavens. Thofe atoms which were by their fize and 
figure fuited to form fiery bodies, collected themfelves 
into ftars. Thofe which were not capable of rifing fo 
high in the fphere of the world, being difturbed by the 
fiery particles, formed themfelves into air. At length, 
from thofe which fubfided was produced the earth. By 
the aCtion of air, agitated by heat from the heavenly bo¬ 
dies upon the mixed mafs of the earth, its fmoother and 
lighter particles were feparated from the reft, and water 
was produced, which flowed by its nature into the loweft 
places, in the firft combination of atoms, which formed 
the chaos, various feeds arofe ; which, being preferved, 
and nourifhed by moifture and heat, afterwards fprung 
forth in organifed bodies of different kinds. The world 
is preferved by the fame mechanical caufes by which it 
was framed ; and from the fame caufes it will at laft be 
dilfolved. The incelfant motion of atoms, which pro¬ 
duced the world, is continually operating towards its dif- 
folution ; for nothing is folid and indilfoluble but atoms. 
Whence it may be concluded, that the time will come, 
when nothing will remain but feparate atoms and infinite 
fpace. The earth, which was formed of heavy particles, 
fubfiding to the loweft place, is fituated in the middle of 
the world. Not that there is any point within the earth 
which is the centre of gravity. The doctrine that there 
are upon the earth antipodes, is falfe. The earth is in 
form a circular plane; it is prevented from falling towards 
the lower region by the air, with which it is congenial, 
and upon which therefore it does not prefs ; their mutual 
aCtion deftroying the effect of gravity. Earthquakes are 
caufed by the agitation of internal winds and water, or 
by the decay and fudden fall of columns, by which por¬ 
tions of the earth’s furface are fupported. Or the inter¬ 
nal winds may be converted into fires, which may caufe 
fudden and violent eruptions, as in mount ./Etna. Foflils 
and plants are produced by the neceffary impulfe of na¬ 
ture, that is, by the motion of atoms, cauling continual 
tranfpofition, accretion, or diminution, in individual bo¬ 
dies. They have no vital principle, and can therefore 
only be fuid analogically to live or die. Animals having 
being once formed, at the beginning of the world, by the 
cafual conjunction of fimilar atoms, the production of 
animal bodies is ftill continued in a conftant and deter¬ 
minate' order. The parts of animals were not originally 
framed for the ufes to which they are now applied ; but, 
having been accidentally produced, they were afterwards 
accidentally employed. The eye, for example, was not 
made for feeing, nor the ear for hearing; but the foul, 
being formed within the body at the fame time with thefe 
organs, and connected with them, could not avoid mak¬ 
ing life of them in their refpeCtive functions. The foul 
is a fubtle corporeal fubftance, compofed of the fineft 
atoms; which, by the extreme tenuity of its particles, is 
able to penetrate the whole body, and to adhere to all its 
parts. Notwithftanding the fubtlety of its texture, it is 
compofed of four diftinCt parts: fire, which caufes ani¬ 
mal heat ; an ethereal principle, which is moift vapour ; 
air; and a fourth principle, which is the caufe of fenfa- 
tion. This fentient principle differs effentially from the 
three former; but it is, like the reft, corporeal, becaufe 
it is capable both of aCting and being aCted upon by bo¬ 
dies. Thefe four parts are fo perfectly combined as to 
form one fubtle fubftance, which, whilft it remains in the 
body, is the caufe of all its faculties, motions, and paf- 
fions, and which cannot be feparated from it without 
producing the entire diffolution of the animal fyftem. 
Different fenfations are the cafual effedts of the different 
organs which the foul in its union with the body is ca¬ 
pable of employing, and of the different properties and 
qualities of external objects. Thefe become fenfible by 
means of certain fpecies, or images, which are perpetually 
pafling. 
