CHAPTER IV.

HOW WAS THIS WORLD COMPOSED IN THAT ORDER AND AFTER
THAT MANNER IT IS?

The world being broken and confused, after this manner it was
reduced into figure and composure as now it is. The insectible
bodies or atoms, by a wild and fortuitous motion, without any
governing power, incessantly and swiftly were hurried one amongst
another, many bodies being jumbled together; upon this account they
have a diversity in the figures and magnitude. These therefore
being so jumbled together, those bodies which were the greatest and
heaviest sank into the lowest place; they that were of a lesser
magnitude, being round, smooth, and slippery, these meeting with
those heavier bodies were easily broken into pieces, and were
carried into higher places. But when that force whereby these
variously particles figured particles fought with and struck one
another, and forced the lighter upwards, did cease, and there was
no farther power left to drive them into superior regions, yet they
were wholly hindered from descending downwards, and were compelled
to reside in those places capable to receive them; and these were
the heavenly spaces, unto which a multitude of these small bodies
were hurled, and these being thus shivered fell into coherence and
mutual embraces, and by this means the heaven was produced. Then a
various and great multitude of atoms enjoying the same nature, as
it is before asserted, being hurried aloft, did form the stars.
The multitude of these exhaled bodies, having struck and broke the