Foscarini, Paolo Antonio, An epistle to fantoni, 1661

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              others, ſuch as were thoſe of
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              Plato, Calippus, Eudoxus
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              ; and ſince
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              them of
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              Averroe, ^{*} Cardanus, Fracaſtorius,
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              and others both Anti­
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              ent and Modern, there is not one found that is more facile, more
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              regularly ahd determinately, accommodated to the
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              Phœnomena
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              and Motions of the Heavens, without
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              Epicycles, Excentrix, Ho­
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              mocentricks
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              Deferents, and the ſupputation of the Rapid Motion.
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              </s>
              <s>And this Hypotheſis hath been aſſerted for true, not onely by
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              Pythagoras,
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              and, after him, by
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              Copernicus,
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              but by many famous
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              men, as namely,
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              Heraclitus,
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              and
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              Ecphantus, Pythagoreans,
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              all the
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              Diſciples of that Sect,
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              Miceta
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              of
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              Syracuſe, Martianus Capella,
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              and
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              many more. </s>
              <s>Amongſt whom, thoſe (as we have ſaid) that
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              have attempted the finding out of New Syſtemes (for they refu­
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              ſed both this of
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              Pythagoras,
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              and that of
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              Ptolemy)
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              are numberleſs:
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              who yet notwithſtanding allowed this Opinion of
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              Pythagoras
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              to
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              carry with it much probability, and indirectly confirmed it; inaſ­
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              much as that they rejected the common one as imperfect, defe­
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              ctive, and attended with many contradictions and difficulties.
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              </s>
              <s>Amongſt theſe may be numbered Father ^{*}
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              Clavius,
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              a moſt learn­
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              ed Jeſuite; who, although he refutes the Syſteme of
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              Pythagoras,
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              yet acknowledgeth the Levity of the common Syſteme, and he
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              ingeniouſly confeſſeth, that for the removal of difficulties, in which
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              the common Syſteme will not ſerve the turn, Aſtronomers are
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              forced to enquire after another Syſteme, to the diſcovery of
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              which, he doth very earneſtly exhort them.</s>
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              * Cardan de re­
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              rum variet. </s>
              <s>Lib. 1.
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              Cap. 1.</s>
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              * P. </s>
              <s>Clavins in
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              ultima ſuor. </s>
              <s>Ope­
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              rum editione.</s>
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              <s>Now can there a better or more commodious Hypotheſis
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              be deviſed, than this of
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              Copernicus,
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              ? </s>
              <s>For
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              t
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              his Cauſe many Mo­
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              dern Authors are induced to approve of, and follow it: but
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              with much hæſitancy, and fear, in regard that it ſeemeth in their
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              Opinion ſo to contradict the Holy Scriptures, as that it cannot
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              poſſibly be reconciled to them. </s>
              <s>Which is the Reaſon that this
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              Opinion hath been long ſuppreſt, and is now entertained by men
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              in a modeſt manner, ad as it were with a veiled Face; according
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              to that advice of the Poet:</s>
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              <s>
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              Judicium populi nunquam contempſeris unus,
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              </s>
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              <s>
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              Ne nullis place as, dum vis contemnere multos.
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              <s>Upon conſideration of which, (out of my very great love to­
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              wards the Sciences, and my ardent defire to ſee the encreaſe and
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              perfection of them, and the Light of Truth freed from all Er­
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              rours and Obſcurities) I began to argue with my ſelf touching
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              this Point after this manner: This Opinion of the
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              Pythagoreans
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              is either true, or falſe; If falſe, it ought not to be mentioned, and
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              deſerves not to be divulged: If true, it matters not, though it
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              contradict all, as well Philoſophers as Aſtronomers: And though
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              for its eſtabliſhment and reducement to uſe a new Philoſophy </s>
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