ButbecauseIhaveessayedtoexpoundthechiefofthesediscoveriesinatreatisewhichcertainconsiderationspreventmefrompublishing, , beforeIsetmyselftowriteit, , findingthemselvesunabletorepresentequallywellonaplainsurfaceallthedifferentfacesofasolidbody, selectoneofthechief, onwhichalonetheymakethelightfall, andthrowingtherestintotheshade, allowthemtoappearonlyinsofarastheycanbeseenwhilelookingattheprincipalone; so, fearinglestIshouldnotbeabletocompenseinmydiscourseallthatwasinmymind, Iresolvedtoexpoundsingly, thoughatconsiderablelength, myopinionsregardinglight; thentotaketheopportunityofaddingsomethingonthesunandthefixedstars, sincelightalmostwhollyproceedsfromthem; ontheheavenssincetheytransmitit; ontheplanets, comets, andearth, sincetheyreflectit; andparticularlyonallthebodiesthatareupontheearth, sincetheyareeithercolored, ortransparent, orluminous; andfinallyonman, , toenablemetocastthisvarietyofsubjectssomewhatintotheshade, andtoexpressmyjudgmentregardingthemwithgreaterfreedom, withoutbeingnecessitatedtoadoptorrefutetheopinionsofthelearned, Iresolvedtoleaveallthepeopleheretotheirdisputes, andtospeakonlyofwhatwouldhappeninanewworld, ifGodwerenowtocreatesomewhereintheimaginaryspacesmattersufficienttocomposeone, andweretoagitatevariouslyandconfusedlythedifferentpartsofthismatter, sothatthereresultedachaosasdisorderedasthepoetseverfeigned, andafterthatdidnothingmorethanlendhisordinaryconcurrencetonature, , I, inthefirstplace, describedthismatter, andessayedtorepresentitinsuchamannerthattomymindtherecanbenothingclearerandmoreintelligible, exceptwhathasbeenrecentlysaidregardingGodandthesoul; forIevenexpresslysupposedthatitpossessednoneofthoseformsorqualitieswhicharesodebatedintheschools, , Ihavepointedoutwhatarethelawsofnature; and, withnootherprincipleuponwhichtofoundmyreasoningsexcepttheinfiniteperfectionofGod, Iendeavoredtodemonstrateallthoseaboutwhichtherecouldbeanyroomfordoubt, andtoprovethattheyaresuch, thatevenifGodhadcreatedmoreworlds, , Ishowedhowthegreatestpartofthematterofthischaosmust, inaccordancewiththeselaws, disposeandarrangeitselfinsuchawayastopresenttheappearanceofheavens; howinthemeantimesomeofitspartsmustcomposeanearthandsomeplanetsandcomets, , makingadigressionatthisstageonthesubjectoflight, Iexpoundedatconsiderablelengthwhatthenatureofthatlightmustbewhichisfoundinthesunandthestars, andhowthenceinaninstantoftimeittraversestheimmensespacesoftheheavens, , thesituation, themotions, andallthedifferentqualitiesoftheseheavensandstars; sothatIthoughtIhadsaidenoughrespectingthemtoshowthatthereisnothingobservableintheheavensorstarsofoursystemthatmustnot, , andtoshowhow, eventhoughIhadexpresslysupposedthatGodhadgivennoweighttothematterofwhichitiscomposed, thisshouldnotpreventallitspartsfromtendingexactlytoitscenter; howwithwaterandaironitssurface, thedispositionoftheheavensandheavenlybodies, moreespeciallyofthemoon, mustcauseaflowandebb, likeinallitscircumstancestothatobservedinourseas, asalsoacertaincurrentbothofwaterandairfromeasttowest, suchasislikewiseobservedbetweenthetropics; howthemountains, seas, fountains, andriversmightnaturallybeformedinit, andthemetalsproducedinthemines, andtheplantsgrowinthefieldsandingeneral, howallthebodieswhicharecommonlydenominatedmixedorcompositemightbegeneratedand, amongotherthingsinthediscoveriesalludedtoinasmuchasbesidesthestars, Iknewnothingexceptfirewhichproduceslight, Isparednopainstosetforthallthatpertainstoitsnature,—themannerofitsproductionandsupport, andtoexplainhowheatissometimesfoundwithoutlight, andlightwithoutheat; toshowhowitcaninducevariouscolorsupondifferentbodiesandotherdiversequalities; howitreducessometoaliquidstateandhardensothers; howitcanconsumealmostallbodies, orconvertthemintoashesandsmoke; andfinally, howfromtheseashes, bythemereintensityofitsaction, itformsglass: forasthistransmutationofashesintoglassappearedtomeaswonderfulasanyotherinnature, , however, disposed, fromthesecircumstances, toconcludethatthisworldhadbeencreatedinthemannerIdescribed; , andanopinioncommonlyreceivedamongtheologians, thattheactionbywhichhenowsustainsitisthesamewiththatbywhichheoriginallycreatedit; sothatevenalthoughhehadfromthebeginninggivenitnootherformthanthatofchaos, providedonlyhehadestablishedcertainlawsofnature, andhadlentithisconcurrencetoenableittoactasitiswonttodo, itmaybebelieved, withoutdiscredittothemiracleofcreation, that, inthiswayalone, thingspurelymaterialmight, incourseoftime, havebecomesuchasweobservethematpresent; andtheirnatureismuchmoreeasilyconceivedwhentheyarebeheldcominginthismannergraduallyintoexistence, thanwhentheyareonlyconsideredasproducedatonceinafinishedandperfectstate.
