wise Author of things, which were necessary at the beginning to turn
that confus'd _Chaos_ into this Orderly and beautifull World; and
Especially, to contrive the Bodies of Animals and Plants, and the
Seeds of those things whose kinds were to be propagated. For I confess
I cannot well Conceive, how from matter, Barely put into Motion, and
then left to it self, there could Emerge such Curious Fabricks as the
Bodies of men and perfect Animals, and such yet more admirably
Contriv'd parcels of matter, as the seeds of living Creatures.
I should likewise tell you upon what grounds, and in what sence, I
suspected the Principles of the World, as it now is, to be Three,
_Matter_, _Motion_ and _Rest_. I say, _as the World now is_, because
the present Fabrick of the Universe, and especially the seeds of
things, together with the establisht Course of Nature, is a Requisite
or Condition, upon whose account divers things may be made out by our
three Principles, which otherwise would be very hard, if possible, to
explicate.
I should moreover declare in general (for I pretend not to be able to
do it otherwise) not only why I Conceive that Colours, Odors, Tasts,
Fluidness and Solidity, and those other qualities that Diversifie and
Denominate Bodies may Intelligibly be Deduced from these three; _but
how two of the Three_ Epicurean Principles (which, I need not tell,
you [Transcriber's Note: tell you,] are Magnitude, Figure and Weight)
are Themselves Deducible from Matter and Motion; since the Latter of
these Variously Agitating, and, as it were, Distracting the Former,
must needs disjoyne its parts; which being Actually separated must
Each of them necessarily both be of some Size, and obtain some shape
or other. Nor did I add to our Principles the _Aristotelean
Privation_, partly for other Reasons, which I must not now stay to
insist on; and partly because it seems to be rather an Antecedent, or
a _Terminus a quo_, then a True Principle, as the starting-Post is
none of the Horses Legs or Limbs.
I should also explain why and how I made rest [Errata: Rest] to be,
though not so considerable a Principle of things, as Motion, yet a
Principle of them; partly because it is (for ought we know [Errata:
know)] as Ancient at least as it, and depends not upon Motion, nor any
other quality of matter; and partly, because it may enable the Body in
which it happens to be, both to continue in a State of Rest till some
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