Page:Mathematical collections and translations, in two tomes - Salusbury (1661).djvu/271

 Earth is to carry along with it a thousand bodies, each much bigger than the Terrestrial Globe.

Here it remains for us to see the proofs, whereby the Authour concludes the new stars Anno 1572. and Anno 1604. to be sublunary, and not cœlestial, as the Astronomers of those times were generally perswaded; an enterprize very great certainly; but I have considered, that it will be better, in regard the Book is new and long, by reason of its many calculations, that between this evening and to morrow morning I make them as plain as I can, and so meeting you again to morrow to continue our wonted conferences, give you a brief of what I shall observe therein; and if we have time left, we will say something of the Annual motion ascribed to the Earth. In the mean time, if either of you, and Simplicius in particular, hath any thing to say more, touching what relates to the Diurnal motion, at large examined by me, we have a little time still left to treat thereof.

I have no more to say, unlesse it be this, that the discourses that this day have falne under our debate, have appeared to me fraught with very acute and ingenious notions, alledged on Copernicus his side, in confirmation of the motion of the Earth, but yet I find not my self perswaded to believe it; for in short, the things that have been said conclude no more but this, that the reasons for the stability of the Earth are not necessary; but all the while no demonstration hath been produced on the other side, that doth necessarily convince and prove its mobility.

I never undertook, Simplicius, to remove you from that your opinion; much less dare I presume to determine definitively in this controversie: it onely was, and still shall be in the ensuing disputations my intent, to make it appear to you, that those who have thought that most swift motion of 24 hours doth belong to the Earth alone, and not to the Universe, the Earth onely excluded, were not induced to believe, that so it might and ought to do out of any blind perswasion; but that they did very well see, try, and examine the reasons on the contrary side, and also not slightly answer them. With the same intention, if it stand with your liking, and that of Sagredus, we may passe to the consideration of that other motion; first, by Aristarchus Samius, and afterwards by Nicholaus Copernicus ascribed to the said Terrestrial Globe, which is, as, I believe, you have heretofore heard, made under the Zodiack within the space of a year about the Sun, immoveably placed in the centre of the said Zodiack.

The disquisition is so great, and so noble, that I shall gladly hearken to the discussion thereof, perswading my self that I shall hear what ever can be said of that matter. And I will after-