Page:Mathematical collections and translations, in two tomes - Salusbury (1661).djvu/280

 follies of such a * Fabler against Astronomers to come into the light, and to be openly maintained without contradiction; but this also might be dispensed with, in respect of the other greater occasions of laughter, wherewith we may confront them depending on the dissimulation of the intelligent, touching the follies of these opponents of the Doctrines that they well enough understand.

I desire not a greater proof of those mens petulancy, and the infelicity of a Copernican, subject to be opposed by such as understand not so much as the very first positions, upon which he undertakes the quarrel.

You will be no lesse astonished at their method in confuting the Astronomers, who affirm the new Stars to be superiour to the Orbs of the Planets; and peradventure in the † Firmament it self.

But how could you in so short a time examine all this Book, which is so great a Volume, and must needs contain very many demonstrations?

I have confined my self to these his first confutations, in which with twelve demonstrations founded upon the observations of twelve Astronomers, (who all held, that the Star, Anno 1572. which appeared in Cassiopeia, was in the Firmament) he proveth it on the contrary, to be beneath the Moon, conferring, two by two, the meridian altitudes, proceeding in the method that you shall understand by and by. And because, I think, that in the examination of this his first progression, I have discovered in this Authour a great unlikelihood of his ability to conclude any thing against the Astronomers, in favour of the Peripatetick Philosophers, and that their opinion is more and more concludently confirmed, I could not apply my self with the like patience in examining his other methods, but have given a very slight glance upon them, and am certain, that the defect that is in these first impugnations, is likewise in the rest. And as you shall see, by experience, very few words will suffice to confute this whole Book, though compiled with so great a number of laborious calculations, as here you see. Therefore observe my proceedings. This Authour undertaketh, as I say, to wound his adversaries with their own weapons, i.e. a great number of observations made by themselves, to wit, by twelve or thirteen Authours in number, and upon part of them he makes his supputations, and concludeth those stars to have been below the Moon. Now because the proceeding by interrogatories very much pleaseth me, in regard the Authour himself is not here, let Simplicius answer me to the questions that I shall ask him, as he thinks he himself would, if he were present. And presupposing that we speak of the foresaid Star, of Anno 1572. ap-