Physiologia Epicuro-Gassendo-Charltoniana: or a fabrick of science natural, upon the hypothesis of atoms / Founded by Epicvrvs, repaired [by] Petrvs Gassendvs, augmented [by] Walter Charleton ... The first part.

  • Charleton, Walter, 1620-1707.
Date:
1654
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Physiologia Epicuro-Gassendo-Charltoniana: or a fabrick of science natural, upon the hypothesis of atoms / Founded by Epicvrvs, repaired [by] Petrvs Gassendvs, augmented [by] Walter Charleton ... The first part. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    157/524 (page 117)
    I Sect. III. Concerning the Figures of Atoms. IN all the fufficiently prolix Difcourfes of the Ancient Aflertofs of A- toms, concerning their FIGURE, and the no fparing Commen¬ taries of the Moderns thereupon *, whatever feems either worthy our ferr¬ ous animadverfions, or in anywife pertinent to our Defignation: may be, without perverfioUj, oramillion of importance, well comprized under one ofthefe^ Canons, (i) That Atoms are^ in theirJtmple ejjence^ variotfjly fgar ate-, (2) That the di^in^t fpecies of their Figures are Indefinite , or Incomprthenfitble, though not fimply, or Mfiolutely Infinite ( 3 ) That the Number ofi Atoms retaining unto, or comprehended under each peculiar fpe¬ cies of Figure, is not only indefinite, but fimply Infinite. t Concerning the FIRST*, we advertife, that no man is to conceive them to have fuppofed the Figure of Atoms deprehenfible by the Sight, or Touch, no more then their Magnitude, the termination whereof d^oth elTence their figure, according to that definition of Euclid, lately alledgedj but fuch, as being inferrible trom manifold reafons, is obvious to the per¬ ception of the Mind. Which Plutarch {i.placit.> 2,) perfonating Epicu¬ rus, exprefiy declares in his, iSia, AoVw Atomos pro- prias habere, fed ratione, feu mente contemplabiles Figuras. To avouch the verity hereof, we need no other argument but this *, infomuch as every Atome hath fome determinate Quantity, or Extenfion, and that all Quantity muft be terminated in fome certain Figure; therefore is it neceflary, that however exile the dimenfionsofan Atome are, yet mull the fuperfice thereof be or plane, or fphjvrical^ or angular, or Cubical, &c. i. e. of fome figure either regular, or irregular. Doth any incline to believe, that the extreme Exility of Atoms may neceflitate their general Roundnefs-, and the rather be’caufe he perceives allthofe dufty fragments of bodies, vifible intheaerby Sunlliine, (which are the Atoms of the Vulgar) to be clad in’that figure: We advifehim to colled a multitude of them, on a clean flieetof the fineft white Paper, and then {peculate any the fmalleft granules among them with a perfed En- gyfcope. For, in fo doing He will acquire autoptical fatisfadion, that none of them are exadly orbicular and perpolite, but all of various angular figures, pyramidal, pentahedrical, cubical, trapezian, heptahedrical, odahe- drical, dodecahedrical, icoiiihedrical, &c.'nayof fo many irregular and diffi- milar apparences, as muft refute his error with a delightful Wonder. Though, in troth, it can be no wonder to him that confiders the Defedof any Caufe, that Ihould break off the angles from thofe fragments vo¬ latile , after their detrition from hard bodies, and (b tornate them into fmooth fpha’rules; obfervation afcertaining, that when hard bodies are broken into large pieces, thofe pieces are alw.ayes angular, and ex¬ tremely dilcrepant in the parts of their fuperfice *, anti Reafon thence Art.i. An Epitome of ail that di¬ rectly con¬ cerns the fi¬ gures of A, toms in ? Ge¬ nera! Canons. Art.'2. The Firfi Ca¬ non,explained and certified. Art. 3. The Exility cf Atoms, doth nor neceirirate their General Roundnefs\con- rrary to the common con. ceit.