Page:The Anatomy of Tobacco.pdf/85

 also aver that the circle is a barren figure generating nothing; whereas from straight lines are produced all the rectilineal figures. To which the Cyclosematics reply that the idea of a circle must have existed before these straight lines were joined to form one, even admitting that they were so joined, which they say is not proven—nay, rather they aver that by taking away an infinitely small part of the circumference of a circle a straight line was generated; and finally that the objections of the Orthopoetics apply only to the circumference of the circle, and not to the circle itself. For the definition of Euclides commences, "A circle is a plane figure contained by one line which is called the circumference," where it is evident that the circle is not the circumference, which is only a formal part necessary to render the ideal conception of a circle comprehensible by our material senses; for if the terms "circle" and "circumference" were identical, then would a thing be said to be contained by itself, which is impossible.