New Curious Architecture

(since water is thinner than the earthy substance of ashes) it may insinuate itself, and thereafter gradually contract the ashes more strongly. This happens because anything compressed slowly and part by part, rather than by a single force, becomes tighter and denser. The ashes, by absorbing the water, are necessarily condensed; at the same time, if they are hot, they dissolve the water into air, thereby creating space more easily for the remainder.

The same effect is achieved if ash is placed into a vessel already full of water. This is not because the water contains similar passages that open up to receive and absorb the ashes; that would be contrary to nature, which dictates that thicker substances are permeated by subtler ones, not the other way around. Daily experience demonstrates this as well. If more ashes are scattered through water already mixed with ashes in a full vessel, the new ashes immediately hurry to join the others. This could not happen if the water received the ashes into its own passages without distinction.

It should be noted, however, that if a vessel is first filled to the very top with water, and one then tries to add ashes, they will not be admitted; instead, the water will overflow.

Therefore, if one wishes to conduct an experiment on this matter, it is necessary to pour in a little water first, and then immediately some ashes. The ashes attract the water, but the water does not attract the ashes.

From these observations, another doubt is resolved, namely the question: How does it happen that a pit does not hold all the earth that was dug out of it?
Response. This occurs because both the cavity of the pit and the small spaces between the earth as it is thrown back in are occupied and filled by the surrounding air. This air can only be compressed with difficulty, and thus it is not entirely expelled, occupying a significant amount of space.

CHAPTER III.

Certain other opinions of the ancients, who either denied a vacuum entirely, or conceded its existence only outside the world.

Regarding other philosophers and experts in natural things, each and every one who lived from the time of Thales of Miletus Thales (c. 624–545 BC) is often cited as the first Western philosopher. until the time of Plato absolutely and simply denied every vacuum in the universe. This is the source of those verses by Empedocles:

In the whole world there is nothing empty, nor anything flowing around it.
original: "Nil vacuum in toto est planè, aut circumfluit, orbe."

Nevertheless, Plutarch writes that Aristotle, the prince of philosophers, conceded a vacuum existed only outside the world, in such an amount as was necessary for the ether, being of a fiery nature, to breathe.

However, since not a trace of this is found in the Aristotelian writings, but rather the contrary is established with Herculean arguments against the Pythagoreans (who, as mentioned above, held the world to be a great animal), let everyone be free to judge for themselves on this point.

Menedemus of Eretria Böckler writes "Epiconius," likely referring to the school of Menedemus of Eretria. posited innumerable atoms or indivisible small bodies, and alongside these a vacuum, or empty space, extended indefinitely. He raised this space, along with others, outside the world beyond the "primum mobile" In the old geocentric model, the "first moved" or outermost sphere of the heavens. or the extreme limit of the heavens, saying: God fills all things which are inside and outside the world; but that which is outside the world is the vacuum, the seat and home of God, without limit or bodily or material substance, lasting eternally.

From this it is concluded that these thinkers did not admit a vacuum or emptiness within the world at all. They believed the world was filled on all sides by bodies of a related and similar nature, composed of its heavens and elements, and thus it admits nothing so contrary to nature as a void.