Page:Mathematical collections and translations, in two tomes - Salusbury (1661).djvu/319

 the angle towards the circumference something acute. But wholly to free this Authour from these unhappy lies, let him know, (in regard it appears that he is not very skilful in the use of Astronomicall Instruments) that in the sides of the Sextant or Quadrant there are placed two * Sights, one in the centre, and the other at the other at the opposite end, which are raised an inch or more above the plane of the Rule; and through the tops of those sights the ray of the eye is made to passe, which eye likewise is held an hands breadth or two, or it may be more, from the Instrument; so that neither the pupil, nor any bone of the cheek, nor of the whole body toucheth or stayeth it self upon the Instrument, nor much lesse is the Instrument upheld or mounted in the armes, especially if it be one of those great ones, as is usual, which weighing tens, hundreds, and also thousands of pounds, are placed upon very strong feet or frames: so that the whole objection vanisheth. These are the subterfuges of this Authour, which, though they were all of steel, would not secure him the hundredth part of a minute; and with these he conceits to make us believe, that he hath compensated that difference, which importeth more than an hundred minutes; I mean, that of the not observing a notable difference in the distances between one of the fixed stars, and the new star in in any of their circulations; which, had it been neer to the Moon, it ought to have been very conspicuous to the meer sight, without any Instrument, especially comparing it with the eleventh of Cassiopeia, its neighbour, within 1 gr. 30 m. which ought to have varied from it more than two diameters of the moon, as the more intelligent Astronomers of those times do well note.

Methinks I see that unfortunate Husbandman, who after all his expected crops, have been beaten down and destroyed by a storm, goeth up and down with a languishing and down-cast look, gleaning up every small ear that would not suffice to keep a chicken alive one sole day.

Truly, this Authour came out too slenderly provided with armes against the assailants of the Heavens inalterability, and with too brittle a chain attempted to pull down the new star of Cassiopeia from the highest Regions, to these so low and elementary. And for that I think that we have sufficiently demonstrated the vast difference that is between the arguments of those Astronomers, and of this their Antagonist, it will be convenient that we leave this particular, and return to our principal matter; in which there presents it self to our consideration the annual motion commonly ascribed to the Sun, but by Aristarchus Samius first of all, and after by Copernicus taken from the Sun, and transferred upon the Earth; against which Hypothesis, methinks I see Simplicius to come strongly provided, and particularly with the sword and