A World made by four Kinds of Atomes.
Sharp
Atomes make Fire subtile, quick, and dry,
The Long like shafts still into Air do fly,
The Round do turn to Water, which is wet,
The Square to Earth, a Figure firmly set;
Sharp Atomes, they hard Minerals do make,
Soft Vegetables of round Atomes take;
In Animals none singly lie alone,
But all four sorts do meet and joyn as one:
And thus these four the Substance are of all,
And with their Figures make a worldly Ball.
Thus the fancy of my Atomes is, that the four
Principal Figures, as Sharp, Long, Round and
Square, make the four Elements; not that they are
of several Matters, but all of
one Matter, only
their several Figures do give them several Proprieties;
so likewise do the mixt Figures give them
mixt Proprieties, and their several Composures
give them other Proprieties, according to their
Forms they put themselves into by their several
Motions. This I do repeat, that the Ground of
my Opinion may be understood.