the same point as
a centre, a single equilateral triangle is formed out of six triangles;
and four equilateral triangles, if put together, make out of every three
plane angles one solid angle, being that which is nearest to the most
obtuse of plane angles; and out of the combination of these four angles
arises the first solid form which distributes into equal and similar
parts the whole circle in which it is inscribed. The second species
of solid is formed out of the same triangles, which unite as eight
equilateral triangles and form one solid angle out of four plane angles,
and out of six such angles the second body is completed. And the third
body is made up of 120 triangular elements, forming twelve solid angles,
each of them included in five plane equilateral triangles, having
altogether twenty bases, each of which is an equilateral triangle. The
one element (that is, the triangle which has its hypotenuse twice the
lesser side) having generated these figures, generated no more; but
the isosceles triangle produced the fourth elementary figure, which
is compounded of four such triangles, joining their right angles in a
centre, and forming one equilateral quadrangle. Six of these united form
eight solid angles, each of which is made by the combination of three
plane right angles; the figure of the body thus composed is a cube,
having six plane quadrangular equilateral bases. There was yet a fifth
combination which God used in the delineation of the universe.

Now, he who, duly reflecting on all this, enquires whether the worlds
are to be regarded as indefinite or definite in number, will be of
opinion that the notion of their indefiniteness is characteristic of a
sadly indefinite and ignorant mind. He, however, who raises the question
whether they are to be truly regarded as one or five, takes up a more
reasonable position. Arguing from probabilities, I am of opinion that
they are one; another, regarding the question from another point of
view, will be of another mind. But, leaving this enquiry, let us proceed
to distribute the elementary forms, which have now been created in idea,
among the four elements.

To earth, then, let us assign the cubical form; for earth is the most
immoveable of the four and the most plastic of all bodies, and that
which has the most stable bases must of necessity be of such a nature.
Now, of the triangles which we assumed at first, that which has two
equal sides is by nature more firmly b