Galilei, Galileo, The systems of the world, 1661
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              <s>THE AUTHOR'S
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              INTRODUCTION.</s>
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              <s>Judicious Reader,</s>
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              <s>There was publiſhed ſome years ſince in
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              Rome
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              a ſalutiferous Edict, that, for
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              the obviating of the dangerous Scandals of the preſent Age, impoſed a
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              ſonable Silence upon the Pythagorean Opinion of the Mobility of the Earth.
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              <s>There want not ſuch as unadviſedly affirm, that that Decree was not the
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              ction of a ſober Scrutiny, but of an ill informed Paſsion; & one may hear ſome
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              ter that Conſultors altogether ignorant of Aſtronomical Obſervations ought not
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              to clipp the Wings of Speculative Wits with raſh Prohibitions. </s>
              <s>My zeale
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              not keep ſilence when I hear theſe inconſiderate complaints. </s>
              <s>I thought fit, as being thoroughly
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              quainted with that prudent Determination, to appear openly upon the Theatre of the World as a
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              neſs of the naked Truth. </s>
              <s>I was at that time in
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              Rome;
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              and had not only the audiences, but applauds of
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              the moſt Eminent Prelates of that Court; nor was that Decree Publiſhed without Previous Notice given
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              me thereof. </s>
              <s>Therefore it is my reſolution in the preſent caſe to give Foraign Nations to ſee that this
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              point is as well under stood in
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              Italy,
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              and particularly in
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              Rome,
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              as Tranſalpine Diligence can imagine
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              it to be: and collecting together all the proper Speculations that concern the
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              Copernican Syſteme,
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              to let them know, that the notice of all preceded the Cenſure of the
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              Roman Court;
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              and that there
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              proceed from this Climate not only Doctrines for the health of the Soul, but alſo ingenious Diſcoveries
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              for the recreating of the Mind.
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              To this end I have perſonated the
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              Copernican
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              in this Diſcourſe; proceeding upon an Hypotheſis
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              purely Mathematical; ſtriving by all artificial wayes to repreſent it Superiour, not to that of the
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              mobility of the Earth abſolutely, but according as it is mentioned by ſome, that retein no more, but the
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              name of
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              Peripateticks,
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              and are content, without going farther, to adore Shadows, not philoſophizing
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              with requiſit caution, but with the ſole remembrance of four
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              Principles,
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              but badly under ſtood.
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              We ſhall treat of three principall heads. </s>
              <s>Firſt I will endeavour to ſhew that all Experiments that can
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              be made upon the Earth are inſufficient means to conclude it's Mobility, but are indifferently applicable
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              to the Earth moveable or immoveable: and I hope that on this occaſion we ſhall diſcover many
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              vable paſſages unknown to the Ancients. </s>
              <s>Secondly we will examine the Cœleſtiall
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              Phœnomena
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              that make for the
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              Copernican Hypotheſis,
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              as if it were to prove abſolutely victorious; adding by the
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              way certain new Obſervations, which yet ſerve only for the Aſtronomical Facility, not for Natural
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              Neceßity. </s>
              <s>In the third place I will propoſe an ingenuous Fancy. </s>
              <s>I remember that I have ſaid many
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              years ſince, that the unknown Probleme of the Tide might receive ſome light, admitting the Earths
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              Motion. </s>
              <s>This Poſition of mine paſsing from one to another had found charitable Fathers that
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              adopted it for the Iſſue of their own wit. </s>
              <s>Now, becauſe no ſtranger may ever appear that defending
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              ſelf with our armes ſhall charge us with want of caution in ſo principal an Accident, I have thought
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              good to lay down thoſe probabilities that would render it credible, admitting that the Earth did
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              move. </s>
              <s>I hope, that by theſe Conſider ations the World will come to know, that if other Nations have
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              Navigated more than we, we have not ſtudied leſs than they; & that our returning to aſſert the Earths
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              Stability, and to take the contrary only for a Mathematical
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              Capriccio,
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              proceeds not from inadvertency
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              of what others have thought thereof, but (had we no other inducements) from thoſe Reaſons that
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              ty, Religion, the Knowledge of the Divine Omnipotency, and a conſciouſneſs of the incapacity of mans
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              Vnderſtanding dictate unto us.
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