Hobbes, Dialogus physicus

published Lond, 1661

ingenuity not lacking among Royal Society; "but ingenuity is one thing and method [ars] is another. Here method is needed." (347)

"They display new machines, to show their vacuum and trifling wonders, in the way that they behave who deal in exotic animals, which are not to be seen without payment. All of them are my enemies." (348)

"Nature does all things by the conflict of bodies pressing each other mutually with their motions. So, in the conflict of two bodies, whether fluid or hard, if you understand how much motion performs in each body, that is by what path and quantity, as a not unsuitable reader you will come to physics and you will find the very probable causes of motion rightly calculated." (348-9)

air is fluid, infinitely divisible (353)

sucker cannot totally keep out air, because the points of contact can't be infinitely smooth and perfect -- always be some space for smaller air particles to enter (354-5)

animals killed inside air-pump because of violent motion of particles caused (366-7)