phenomenon of matter. It is by it that the elements,
which may be falling to the point attracting
them, are turned sideways promiscuously from their
movement in a straight line; and their perpendicular
fall thereby issues in circular movements, which encompass
the centre towards which they were falling.
In order to make the formation of the world more distinctly
conceivable, we will limit our view by withdrawing
it from the infinite universe of nature and directing
it to a particular system, as the one which belongs to
our sun. Having considered the generation of this
system, we shall be able to advance to a similar consideration
of the origin of the great world-systems, and
thus to embrace the infinitude of the whole creation in
one conception.

"From what has been said, it will appear that if a
point is situated in a very large space where the attraction
of the elements there situated acts more strongly
than elsewhere, then the matter of the elementary
particles scattered throughout the whole region will fall
to that point. The first effect of this general fall is
the formation of a body at this centre of attraction,
which, so to speak, grows from an infinitely small
nucleus by rapid strides; and in the proportion in which
this mass increases, it also draws with greater force
the surrounding particles to unite with it. When the
mass of this central body has grown so great that the
velocity with which it draws the particles to itself with
great distances is bent sideways by the feeble degree