On Universe (-1699)

"[...] because the origin of arts and sciences is to be considered according to the present revolution of the universe, we must affirm, in conformity with the most general tradition, that geometry was first invented by the Egyptians, deriving its origin from the mensuration of their fields: since this, indeed, was necessary to them, on account of the inundation of the Nile washing away the boundaries of land belonging to each. Nor ought It to seem wonderful, that the invention of this as well as of other sciences, should receive its commencement from convenience and opportunity. Since whatever is carried in the circle of generation proceeds from the imperfect to the perfect." (Proclus Lycaeus, cca 5th century)

"Everything existing in the universe is the fruit of chance." (Democritus, 4th century BC)

"The infinite […] happens to subsist in a way contrary to what is asserted by others: for the infinite is not that beyond which there is nothing, but it is that of which there is always something beyond. […] But that pertaining to which there is nothing beyond is perfect and whole. […] that of which nothing is absent pertaining to the parts […] the whole is that pertaining to which there is nothing beyond. But that pertaining to which something external is absent, that is not all […] But nothing is perfect which has not an end; and the end is a bound. On this account […] Parmenides spoke better than Melissus: for the latter says that the infinite is a whole; but the former, that the whole is finite, and equally balanced from the middle: for to conjoin the infinite with the universe and the whole, is not to connect line with line." (Aristotle, "Physics", cca. 4th century BC)

"For verily not by design did the first-beginnings of things station themselves each in its right place guided by keen intelligence, nor did they bargain sooth to say what motions each should assume, but because many in number and shifting about in many ways throughout the universe they are driven and tormented by blows during infinite time past, after trying motions and unions of every kind at length they fall into arrangements such as those out of which our sum of things has been formed […]" (Lucretius, "On the Nature of Things", 1st century BC)

"I say, then, that the universe and all its parts both received their first order from divine providence, and are at all times administered by it." (Marcus T Cicero, "De Natura Deorum" ["On the Nature of the Gods"], 45 BC)

"No species remains constant: that great renovator of matter Nature, endlessly fashions new forms from old: there’s nothing in the whole universe that perishes, believe me; rather it renews and varies its substance. What we describe as birth is no more than incipient change from a prior state, while dying is merely to quit it. Though the parts may be transported hither and thither, the sum of all matter is constant." (Publius Ovidius Naso [Ovid], "Metamorphoses", 8 AD)

"Constantly regard the universe as one living being, having one substance and one soul; and observe how all things have reference to one perception, the perception of this one living being; and how all things act with one movement; and how all things are the cooperating causes of all things which exist; observe too the continuous spinning of the thread and the contexture of the web." (Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations". cca. 121–180 AD)

"Those who devised the eccentrics seen thereby in large measure to have solved the problem of apparent motions with approximate calculations. But meanwhile they introduced a good many ideas which apparently contradict the first principles of uniform motion. Nor could they elicit or deduce from the eccentrics the principal consideration, that is, the structure of the universe and the true symmetry of its parts."  (Nicolaus Copernicus, "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium", 1543)

"Philosophy is written in this grand book, the universe, which stands continually open to our gaze. But the book cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and read the letters in which it is composed. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it; without these, one wanders about in a dark labyrinth." (Galileo Galilei, "The Assayer", 1623)

"I tell you that if natural bodies have it from Nature to be moved by any movement, this can only be circular motion, nor is it possible that Nature has given to any of its integral bodies a propensity to be moved by straight motion. I have many confirmations of this proposition, but for the present one alone suffices, which is this. I suppose the parts of the universe to be in the best arrangement, so that none is out of its place, which is to say that Nature and God have perfectly arranged their structure. This being so, it is impossible for those parts to have it from Nature to be moved in straight, or in other than circular motion, because what moves straight changes place, and if it changes place naturally, then it was at first in a place preternatural to it, which goes against the supposition. Therefore, if the parts of the world are well ordered, straight motion is superfluous and not natural, and they can only have it when some body is forcibly removed from its natural place, to which it would then return by a straight line, for thus it appears that a part of the earth does [move] when separated from its whole. I said 'it appears to us', because I am not against thinking that not even for such an effect does Nature make use of straight line motion." (Galileo Galilei, [Letter to Francesco Ingoli] 1624)

"I will prove that there are infinite worlds in an infinite world. Imagine the universe as a great animal, and the stars as worlds like other animals inside it. These stars serve in turn as worlds for other organisms, such as ourselves, horses and elephants. We in our turn are worlds for even smaller organisms such as cankers, lice, worms and mites. And they are earths for other, imperceptible beings. Just as we appear to be a huge world to these little organisms, perhaps our flesh, blood and bodily fluids are nothing more than a connected tissue of little animals that move and cause us to move. Even as they let themselves be led blindly by our will, which serves them as a vehicle, they animate us and combine to produce this action we call life." (Cyrano de Bergerac,"The Other World", 1657)

"The nature, mother of the eternal diversities, or the divine spirit, are zaelous of her variety by accepting one and only one pattern for all things, By these reasons she has invented this elegant and admirable proceeding. This wonder of Analysis, prodigy of the universe of ideas, a kind of hermaphrodite between existence and non-existence, which we have named imaginary root?" (Gottfried W Leibniz, "De Bisectione Latereum", 1675)