SAGR. Hold a little, I pray you. Tell me Simplicius, when
two Knights encounter each other, tilting in open field, or when
two whole Squadrons, or two Fleets at Sea, make up to grapple,
and are broken and ſunk, do you call theſe encounters contrary to
one another?
two Knights encounter each other, tilting in open field, or when
two whole Squadrons, or two Fleets at Sea, make up to grapple,
and are broken and ſunk, do you call theſe encounters contrary to
one another?
SAGR. How then, is there no contrariety in circular motions.
Theſe motions, being made upon the ſuperſicies of the Earth or
Water, which are, as you know, ſpherical, come to be circular.
Can you tell, Simplicius, which thoſe circular motions be, that
are not contrary to each other? They are (if I miſtake not) thoſe
of two circles, which touching one another without, one thereof
being turn'd round, naturally maketh the other move the
ry ^{*} way; but if one of them ſhall be within the other, it is
poſſible that their motion being made towards different points,
they ſhould not juſtle one another.
Theſe motions, being made upon the ſuperſicies of the Earth or
Water, which are, as you know, ſpherical, come to be circular.
Can you tell, Simplicius, which thoſe circular motions be, that
are not contrary to each other? They are (if I miſtake not) thoſe
of two circles, which touching one another without, one thereof
being turn'd round, naturally maketh the other move the
ry ^{*} way; but if one of them ſhall be within the other, it is
poſſible that their motion being made towards different points,
they ſhould not juſtle one another.
SALV. But be they contrary, or not contrary, theſe are but
alterations of words; and I know, that upon the matter, it would
be far more proper and agreeable with Nature, if we could ſalve
all with one motion onely, than to introduce two that are (if you
will not call them contrary) oppoſite; yet do I not cenſure this
introduction (of contrary motions) as impoſſible; nor pretend I
from the denial thereof, to inferre a neceſſary Demonſtration,
but onely a greater probability, of the other. A third reaſon
which maketh the Ptolomaique Hypotheſis leſſe probable is, that it
moſt unreaſonably confoundeth the order, which we aſſuredly
ſee to be amongſt thoſe Cœleſtial Bodies, the circumgyration of
which is not queſtionable, but moſt certain. And that Order is,
that according as an Orb is greater, it finiſheth its revolution in a
longer time, and the leſſer, in ſhorter. And thus Saturn
bing a greater Circle than all the other Planets, compleateth the
ſame in thirty yeares: Jupiter finiſheth his; that is leſſe, in
twelve years: Mars in two: The Moon runneth thorow hers, ſo
much leſſe than the reſt, in a Moneth onely. Nor do we leſſe
ſenſibly ſee that of the Medicean Stars, which is neareſt to Ju-
piter, to make its revolution in a very ſhort time, that is, in four
and forty hours, or thereabouts, the next to that in three dayes and
an half, the third in ſeven dayes, and the moſt remote in ſixteen.
And this rate holdeth well enough, nor will it at all alter, whileſt
we aſſign the motion of 24 hours to the Terreſtrial Globe, for it
to move round its own center in that time; but if you would have
the Earth immoveable, it is neceſſary, that when you have paſt
from the ſhort period of the Moon, to the others ſucceſſively
bigger, until you come to that of Mars in two years, and from
thence to that of the bigger Sphere of Jupiter in twelve years, and
alterations of words; and I know, that upon the matter, it would
be far more proper and agreeable with Nature, if we could ſalve
all with one motion onely, than to introduce two that are (if you
will not call them contrary) oppoſite; yet do I not cenſure this
introduction (of contrary motions) as impoſſible; nor pretend I
from the denial thereof, to inferre a neceſſary Demonſtration,
but onely a greater probability, of the other. A third reaſon
which maketh the Ptolomaique Hypotheſis leſſe probable is, that it
moſt unreaſonably confoundeth the order, which we aſſuredly
ſee to be amongſt thoſe Cœleſtial Bodies, the circumgyration of
which is not queſtionable, but moſt certain. And that Order is,
that according as an Orb is greater, it finiſheth its revolution in a
longer time, and the leſſer, in ſhorter. And thus Saturn
bing a greater Circle than all the other Planets, compleateth the
ſame in thirty yeares: Jupiter finiſheth his; that is leſſe, in
twelve years: Mars in two: The Moon runneth thorow hers, ſo
much leſſe than the reſt, in a Moneth onely. Nor do we leſſe
ſenſibly ſee that of the Medicean Stars, which is neareſt to Ju-
piter, to make its revolution in a very ſhort time, that is, in four
and forty hours, or thereabouts, the next to that in three dayes and
an half, the third in ſeven dayes, and the moſt remote in ſixteen.
And this rate holdeth well enough, nor will it at all alter, whileſt
we aſſign the motion of 24 hours to the Terreſtrial Globe, for it
to move round its own center in that time; but if you would have
the Earth immoveable, it is neceſſary, that when you have paſt
from the ſhort period of the Moon, to the others ſucceſſively
bigger, until you come to that of Mars in two years, and from
thence to that of the bigger Sphere of Jupiter in twelve years, and