Galilei, Galileo - The systems of the world

Galilei, Galileo, The systems of the world, 1661

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ſible: Since that it is neceſſary to introduce in Nature, ſubſtances

different betwixt themſelves, that is, the Cœleſtial, and Elementa
ry; that impaſſible and immortal, this alterable and corruptible.
Which argument Ariſtotle handleth in his book De Cœlo, inſinu
ating it firſt, by ſome diſcourſes dependent on certain general aſ
ſumptions, and afterwards confirming it with experiments and per
ticular demonſtrations: following the ſame method, I will pro
pound, and freely ſpeak my judgement, ſubmitting my ſelf to
your cenſure, and particularly to Simplicius, a Stout Champion
and contender for the Ariſtotelian Doctrine.

Copernicus repu
teth the earth œ
Globe like to a Pla
net.

Cœleſtial ſubſtan
ces that are inalte
rable, and Elemen
tary that be alte
rable, are neceſſary
in the opinion of
Ariſtotle.

Ariſtotle maketh
the World perfect,
becauſe it hath the
threefold demenſi
on.

And the firſt Step of the Peripatetick arguments is that, where A
riſtotle proveth the integrity and perfection of the World, telling
us, that it is not a ſimple line, nor a bare ſuperficies, but a body
adorned with Longitude, Latitude, and Profundity; and becauſe
there are no more dimenſions but theſe three; The World having
them, hath all, and having all, is to be concluded perfect. And
again, that by ſimple length, that magnitude is conſtituted, which
is called a Line, to which adding breadth, there is framed the Su
perficies, and yet further adding the altitude or profoundity, there
reſults the Body, and after theſe three dimenſions there is no
paſſing farther, ſo that in theſe three the integrity, and to ſo ſpeak,
totality is terminated, which I might but with juſtice have requi
red Ariſtotle to have proved to me by neceſſary conſequences, the
rather in regard he was able to do it very plainly, and ſpeedily.

SIMPL. What ſay you to the excellent demonſtrations in the

2. 3. and 4. Texts, after the definition of Continual? have you it
not firſt there proved, that there is no more but three dimenſions,
for that thoſe three are all things, and that they are every where?
And is not this confirmed by the Doctrine and Authority of the

Pythagorians, who ſay that all things are determined by three, be
ginning, middle, and end, which is the number of All? And where
leave you that reaſon, namely, that as it were by the law of Na
ture, this number is uſed in the ſacrifices of the Gods? And why
being ſo dictated by nature, do we atribute to thoſe things that
are three, and not to leſſe, the title of all? why of two is it ſaid
both, and not all, unleſs they be three? And all this Doctrine you
have in the ſecond Text. Afterwards in the third, Ad pleniorem

ſcientiam, we read that All, the Whole, and Perfect, are formally
one and the ſame; and that therefore onely the Body, amongſt
magnitudes is perfect: becauſe it is determined by three, which is
All, and being diviſible three manner of waies, it is every way di
viſible; but of the others, ſome are dividible in one manner, and
ſome in two, becauſe according to the number aſſixed, they have
their diviſion and continuity, and thus one magnitude is continu

ate one way, another two, a third, namely the Body, every way.

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