Now first of all we find that everywhere In all directions, horizontally, Below and above throughout the universe There is no limit, as I have demonstrated. Indeed the facts themselves proclaim the truth, And the deep void reveals its nature clearly. Since then on all sides vacant space extends Illimitably, and seeds in countless number And sum immeasurable flit to and fro Eternally driven on in manifold modes Of motion, we must deem it in no wise Probable that this single globe of earth And this one heaven alone have been created, While outside all those particles of matter Are doing nothing: the more so that this world Was formed by nature, as the seeds of things, Casually colliding of their own Spontaneous motion, flocked in manifold ways Together, vainly, without aim or result, Until at last such particles combined As, suddenly thrown together, might become From time to time the rudiments of great things, Earth, sea, sky, and the race of living creatures. Therefore beyond all question we are bound To admit that elsewhere other aggregates Of matter must exist, resembling this Which in its greedy embrace our aether holds. Moreover, when much matter is at hand, And space is there, nor any obstacle Nor cause of hindrance, then you may be sure Things must be forming and dissolving there. Now if there be so vast a store of seeds That the whole lifetime of all conscious beings Would fail to count them, and if likewise nature Abides the same, and so can throw together The seeds of things each into its own place, In the same manner as they were thrown together Into our world, then you must needs admit That in other regions there are other earths, And diverse stocks of men and kinds of beasts. Besides in the whole universe there exists No one thing that is born unique, and grows Unique and sole; but it must needs belong To one class, and there must be many others Of the same kind. Consider first of all Live creatures: you will find that thus are born The mountain-ranging breeds of savage beasts, Thus the human race, thus also the dumb shoals Of scaly fish and every flying fowl. Therefore by a like reasoning you must grant That sky and earth and sun, moon, sea and all That else exists, are not unique, but rather Of number innumerable; since life’s deep-fixed Boundary stone as surely awaits these, And they are of a body that has birth As much as any species here on earth Abounding in examples of its kind.