1inconcluſiveneſſe at leaſt of the demonſtrations of this Author,
firſt propoſed to conſideration, and how both he, and all the
Aſtronomers with whom he contendeth, do agree that the new
Star had not any motion of its own, and onely went round with
the diurnal motion of the primum mobile; but diſſent about the
placing of it, the one party putting it in the Celeſtial Region,
that is above the Moon, and haply above the fixed Stars, and
the other judging it to be neer to the Earth, that is, under the
concave of the Lunar Orb. And becauſe the ſituation of the new
ſtar, of which we ſpeak, was towards the North, and at no very
great diſtance from the Pole, ſo that to us Septentrionals, it did
never ſet, it was an eaſie matter with Aſtronomical inſtruments
to have taken its ſeveral meridian altitudes, as well its ſmalleſt
under the Pole, as its greateſt above the ſame; from the
ring of which altitudes, made in ſeveral places of the Earth,
ſituate at different diſtances from the North, that is, different
from one another in relation to polar altitudes, the ſtars diſtance
might be inferred: For if it was in the Firmament amongſt the
other fixed ſtars, its meridian altitudes taken in divers elevations
of the pole, ought neceſſarily to differ from each other with the
ſame variations that are found amongſt thoſe elevations
ſelves; that is, for example, if the elevation of the ſtar above
the horizon was 30 degrees, taken in the place where the polar
altitude was v. gr. 45 degrees, the elevation of the ſame ſtar
ought to have been encreaſed 4 or 5 degrees in thoſe more
thernly places where the pole was higher by the ſaid 4 or 5
grees. But if the ſtars diſtance from the Earth was but very little,
in compariſon of that of the Firmament; its meridian altitudes
ought approaching to the North to encreaſe conſiderably more
than the polar altitudes; and by that greater encreaſe, that is,
by the exceſſe of the encreaſe of the ſtars elevation, above the
encreaſe of the polar elevation (which is called the difference of
Parallaxes) is readily calculated with a cleer and ſure method,
the ſtars diſtance from the centre of the Earth. Now this Author
taketh the obſervations made by thirteen Aſtronomers in ſundry
elevations of the pole, and conferring a part of them at his
ſure, he computeth by twelve collations the new ſtars height to
have been alwayes beneath the Moon; but this he adventures to
do in hopes to find ſo groſſe ignorance in all thoſe, into whoſe
hands his book might come, that to ſpeak the truth, it hath turn'd
my ſtomack; and I wait to ſee how thoſe other Aſtronomers, and
particularly Kepler, againſt whom this Author principally
veigheth, can contein themſelves in ſilence, for he doth not uſe
to hold his tongue on ſuch occaſions; unleſſe he did poſſibly
think the enterprize too much below him. Now to give you to
firſt propoſed to conſideration, and how both he, and all the
Aſtronomers with whom he contendeth, do agree that the new
Star had not any motion of its own, and onely went round with
the diurnal motion of the primum mobile; but diſſent about the
placing of it, the one party putting it in the Celeſtial Region,
that is above the Moon, and haply above the fixed Stars, and
the other judging it to be neer to the Earth, that is, under the
concave of the Lunar Orb. And becauſe the ſituation of the new
ſtar, of which we ſpeak, was towards the North, and at no very
great diſtance from the Pole, ſo that to us Septentrionals, it did
never ſet, it was an eaſie matter with Aſtronomical inſtruments
to have taken its ſeveral meridian altitudes, as well its ſmalleſt
under the Pole, as its greateſt above the ſame; from the
ring of which altitudes, made in ſeveral places of the Earth,
ſituate at different diſtances from the North, that is, different
from one another in relation to polar altitudes, the ſtars diſtance
might be inferred: For if it was in the Firmament amongſt the
other fixed ſtars, its meridian altitudes taken in divers elevations
of the pole, ought neceſſarily to differ from each other with the
ſame variations that are found amongſt thoſe elevations
ſelves; that is, for example, if the elevation of the ſtar above
the horizon was 30 degrees, taken in the place where the polar
altitude was v. gr. 45 degrees, the elevation of the ſame ſtar
ought to have been encreaſed 4 or 5 degrees in thoſe more
thernly places where the pole was higher by the ſaid 4 or 5
grees. But if the ſtars diſtance from the Earth was but very little,
in compariſon of that of the Firmament; its meridian altitudes
ought approaching to the North to encreaſe conſiderably more
than the polar altitudes; and by that greater encreaſe, that is,
by the exceſſe of the encreaſe of the ſtars elevation, above the
encreaſe of the polar elevation (which is called the difference of
Parallaxes) is readily calculated with a cleer and ſure method,
the ſtars diſtance from the centre of the Earth. Now this Author
taketh the obſervations made by thirteen Aſtronomers in ſundry
elevations of the pole, and conferring a part of them at his
ſure, he computeth by twelve collations the new ſtars height to
have been alwayes beneath the Moon; but this he adventures to
do in hopes to find ſo groſſe ignorance in all thoſe, into whoſe
hands his book might come, that to ſpeak the truth, it hath turn'd
my ſtomack; and I wait to ſee how thoſe other Aſtronomers, and
particularly Kepler, againſt whom this Author principally
veigheth, can contein themſelves in ſilence, for he doth not uſe
to hold his tongue on ſuch occaſions; unleſſe he did poſſibly
think the enterprize too much below him. Now to give you to