Shakespeare's King Lear, Act I.
After questioning his eldest and second daughters, King Lear asked his youngest which fertile portion of his fair kingdom she desired.
Cordelia said, "Nothing, my lord."
King Lear asked in surprise, "Nothing?"
Cordelia answered firmly, "Nothing."
King Lear then said, "Nothing will come of nothing, speak again."
King Lear's words may have originated from a proverb of the Middle Ages: nothing comes from nothing (nihil de nihilo).
If "that which exists" existed, it was either eternal (aidion) or generated (geneton).
If "that which exists" was eternal, it could have no beginning, for only generated things had a beginning. An eternal thing that had not been generated from nothing had no beginning.
A thing could not both exist and not exist. Everything that existed came from something, for things could only be created from being or from nothingness. But how could one understand the creation of all things from nothing?
Take time, for instance. If it had been created, then it had a beginning. If it was eternal, then it was infinite.
Or take another analogy. In terms of the natural nature of marriage, the union of a man and woman in body and soul constituted marriage. A void marriage did not exist, had never existed, and required no procedure to dissolve it.
Like Bessières and the actress. Georgiana believed they were merely "in love." Without secular formalities or a religious wedding, even if they lived together as husband and wife, their union could be declared void, because Bessières was already married.
Even if they had registered their marriage at city hall, it could still lack legal validity for certain reasons. If they had children, those children would be regarded as illegitimate because the marriage was void.
Several of Henry VIII's marriages had been declared void