air in shivers, forced a passage through it; this being turned into
wind invested the stars, as it moved, and whirled them about, by
which means to this present time that circulary motion which these
stars have in the heavens is maintained. Much after the same
manner the earth was made; for by those little particles whose
gravity made them to reside in the lower places the earth was
formed. The heaven, fire, and air were constituted of those
particles which were carried aloft. But a great deal of matter
remaining in the earth, this being condensed by the driving of the
winds and the air from the stars, every little part and form of it
was compressed, which created the element of water; but this being
fluidly disposed did run into those places which were hollow, and
these places were those that were capable to receive and protect
it; or the water, subsisting by itself, did make the lower places
hollow. After this manner the principal parts of the world
were constituted.



CHAPTER V.

WHETHER THE UNIVERSE IS ONE SINGLE THING.

The Stoics pronounce that the world is one thing, and this they
say is the universe and is corporeal.

But Empedocles's opinion is, that the world is one; yet by no
means the system of this world must be styled the universe, but
that it is a small part of it, and the remainder is
inactive matter.