Page:Mathematical collections and translations, in two tomes - Salusbury (1661).djvu/70

 be esteemed a great imperfection to be alterable, generable, mutable, &c. It is my opinion that the Earth is very noble and admirable, by reason of so many and so different alterations, mutations, generations, &c. which are incessantly made therein; and if without being subject to any alteration, it had been all one vast heap of sand, or a masse of Jasper, or that in the time of the Deluge, the waters freezing which covered it, it had continued an immense Globe of Christal, wherein nothing had ever grown, altered, or changed, I should have esteemed it a lump of no benefit to the World, full of idlenesse, and in a word superfluous, and as if it had never been in nature; and should make the same difference in it, as between a living and dead creature: The like I say of the Moon, Jupiter, and all the other Globes of the World. But the more I dive into the consideration of the vanity of popular discourses, the more empty and simple I find them. And what greater folly can there be imagined, than to call Jems, Silver and Gold pretious; and Earth and dirt vile? For do not these persons consider, that if there should be as great a scarcity of Earth, as there is of Jewels and pretious metals, there would be no Prince, but would gladly give a heap of Diamonds and Rubies, and many Wedges of Gold, to purchase onely so much Earth as should suffice to plant a Gessemine in a little pot, or to set therein a China Orange, that he might see it sprout, grow up, and bring forth so goodly leaves, so odiriferous flowers, and so delicate fruit? It is therefore scarcity and plenty that make things esteemed and contemned by the vulgar; who will say that same is a most beautiful Diamond, for that it resembleth a cleer water, and yet will not part with it for ten Tun of water: These men that so extol incorruptibility, inalterability, &c. speak thus I believe out of the great desire they have to live long, and for fear of death; not considering, that if men had been immortal, they should have had nothing to do in the World. These deserve to meet with a Medusa's head, that would transform them into Statues of Dimond and Jasper, that so they might become more perfect than they are.

And it may be such a Metamorphosis would not be altogether unprofitable to them; for I am of opinion that it is better not to discourse at all, than to argue erroniously.

There is not the least question to be made, but that the Earth is much more perfect, being as it is alterable, mutable, &c. than if it had been a masse of stone; yea although it were one entire Diamond, most hard and impassile. But look how much these qualifications enoble the Earth, they render the Heavenly bodies again on the other side so much the more imperfect, in which, such conditions would be superfluous; in regard that the