Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/129

 Chap. 65.] A^-TIPODES. 95 and the vulgar. We inaintain, that there are men dispersed over everv part of the earth, that they stand with their feet turned towards each other, that the vault of the heavens ap» pears alike to all of them, and that they, all of them, appear to tread equally on the middle of the earth. If any one should ask, why those situated opposite to us do not fall, we directly ask in return, whether those on the opposite side do not wonder tha*. we do not fall. But I may make a remark, that will appear plausible even to the most unlearned, that if the earth were of the figure of an unequal globe, like the seed of a pine still it may be inhabited in every part. But of how little moment is this, when we have another miracle rising up to our notice ! The earth itself is pendent and does not fall Avith us ; it is doubtful whether this be from the force of the spirit which is contained in the universe % or whether it would fall, did not nature resist, by allo^ving of no place where it might fall. Tor as the seat of fire is no- where but in fire, nor of water except in water, nor of air except in air, so there is no situation for the earth except in itself, everything else repelling it. It is indeed wonderful that it should form a globe, when there is so much flat sur- face of the sea and of the plains. And this was the opinion of Dic£earchus, a peculiarly learned man, who measured the heights of mountains, under the direction of the kings, and estimated Pelion, which was the highest, at 1250 paces per- pendicular, and considered this as not affecting the round figure of the globe. But this appears to me to be doubtful, as I well know that the summits of some of the Alps rise up by a long space of not less than 50,000 paces^ But what » As our author admits of the existence of antipodes, and expressly states that the earth is a perfect sphere, we may conclude that the re- semblance to the cone of the pine is to be taken in a very general sense. IIow far the ancients entertained correct opinions respecting the globular figure of the earth, or rather, at what period tliis opinion became geneniUy admitted, it is perhaps not easy to ascertain. The lines in the Georgics, i, 242, 213, which may be supjiosed to express the popular opinion in the time of Virgil, certainly do not convey the idea of a sphere capable of being inhabited m all its parts : Hie vertex nobis semper subUmis ; at illuni Sub pedibus Styx atra vidct, Dinnesquc profundi. ' " spiritus vis mimdo nclusi." 3 « Alpium vertices, longo tractu, ncc breviorc quinquagluta