tur, Pythagorans secuti sunt
Philolaus, Seleucus, Cleanthes, &c. imo PLATO jam senex, ut
narrat Theophrastus._ Libert. Fromond, de Orbe terrae immobili.

_CAMBRIDGE_

Printed by ROGER DANIEL, Printer to
the UNIVERSITIE. 1646.

To the Reader.

READER,

_If thou standest not to the judgement of thine eye more then of thy
reason, this fragment may passe favourably, though in the neglectfull
disguise of a fragment; if the strangenesse of the argument prove no
hinderance. INFINITIE of WORLDS! A thing monstrous if assented to, and
to be startled at, especially by them, whose thoughts this one have
alwayes so engaged, that they can find no leisure to think of any thing
else. But I onely make a bare proposall to more acute judgements, of
what my sportfull fancie, with pleasure hath suggested: following my old
designe of furnishing mens minds with varietie of apprehensions
concerning the most weightie points of Philosophie, that they may not
seem rashly to have settled in the truth, though it be the truth:
a thing as ill beseeming Philosophers, as hastie prejudicative sentence
Politicall Judges. But if I had relinquishd here my wonted self, in
proving Dogmaticall, I should have found very noble Patronage for the
cause among the ancients, =Epicurus=, =Democritus=, =Lucretius=, =&c.=
Or if justice may reach the dead, do them the right, as to shew, that
though they be hooted at, by the Rout of the learned, as men of
monstrous conceits, they were either very wise or exceeding fortunate to
light on so probable and specious an opinion, in which notwithstanding
there is so much difficultie and seeming inconsistencie._

_Nay and that sublime and subtil Mechanick too, =DesChartes=, though he
seem to mince it must hold infinitude of worlds, or which is as harsh
one infinite one. For what is his =mundus indefinite extensus=, but
=extensus infinite=? Else it sounds onely =infinitus quoad nos= but
=simpliciter finitus=. But if any space be left out unstuffd with Atoms,
it will hazard the dissipation of the whole frame of Nature into
disjoynted dust. As may be proved by the Principles of his own
Philosophie. And that there is space whereever God is, or any actuall
and self-subsistent Being, seems to me no plainer then one of the
+koinai ennoiai+._

_For mine own part I must confesse these apprehensions do plainly oppose
what heretofore I have conceived; but I have sworn more faithfull
friendship with Trut