1ed, and as ſuch to be refuſed; but the buſineſſe doth not ſucceed
in that manner, my Simplicius, and I excuſe you for not having
comprehended the matter as it is, in regard of your ſmall
ence in ſuch affairs; but yet cannot I under that cloak palliate the
error of the Author, who diſſembling the knowledge of this which
he did perſwade himſelf that we in good earneſt did not
ſtand, hath hoped to make uſe of our ignorance, to gain the
ter credit to his Doctrine, among the multitude of illiterate men.
Therefore for an advertiſement to thoſe who are more credulous
then intelligent, and to recover you from error, know that its
ſible (and that for the moſt part it will come to paſſe) that an
obſervation, that giveth you the ſtar v. gr. at the diſtance of
turn, by the adition or ſubſtraction of but one ſole minute from
the elevation taken with the inſtrument, ſhall make it to become
infinitely diſtant; and therefore of poſſible, impoſſible, and by
converſion, thoſe calculations which being grounded upon thoſe
obſervations, make the ſtar infinitely remote, may poſſibly
times with the addition or ſubduction of one ſole minute, reduce it
to a poſſible ſcituation: and this which I ſay of a minute, may
ſo happen in the correction of half a minute, a ſixth part, and leſs.
Now fix it well in your mind, that in the higheſt diſtances, that is
v. g. the height of Saturn, or that of the fixed Stars, very ſmall
errors made by the Obſervator, with the inſtrument, render the
ſcituation determinate and poſſible, infinite & impoſſible. This doth
not ſo evene in the ſublunary diſtances, and near the earth, where
it may happen that the obſervation by which the Star is collected to
be remote v. g. 4. Semidiameters terreſtrial, may encreaſe or
niſh, not onely one minute but ten, and an hundred, and many
more, without being rendred by the calculation either infinitely
remote, or ſo much as ſuperior to the Moon. You may hence
comprehend that the greatneſſe of the error (to ſo ſpeak)
mental, are not to be valued by the event of the calculation, but
by the quantity it ſelf of degrees and minutes numbred upon the
inſtrument, and theſe obſervations are to be called more juſt or
leſs erroneous, which with the addition or ſubſtraction of fewer
minutes, reſtore the ſtar to a poſſible ſituation; and amongſt the
poſſible places, the true one may be believed to have been that,
bout which a greater number of diſtances concurre upon
ting the more exact obſervations.
in that manner, my Simplicius, and I excuſe you for not having
comprehended the matter as it is, in regard of your ſmall
ence in ſuch affairs; but yet cannot I under that cloak palliate the
error of the Author, who diſſembling the knowledge of this which
he did perſwade himſelf that we in good earneſt did not
ſtand, hath hoped to make uſe of our ignorance, to gain the
ter credit to his Doctrine, among the multitude of illiterate men.
Therefore for an advertiſement to thoſe who are more credulous
then intelligent, and to recover you from error, know that its
ſible (and that for the moſt part it will come to paſſe) that an
obſervation, that giveth you the ſtar v. gr. at the diſtance of
turn, by the adition or ſubſtraction of but one ſole minute from
the elevation taken with the inſtrument, ſhall make it to become
infinitely diſtant; and therefore of poſſible, impoſſible, and by
converſion, thoſe calculations which being grounded upon thoſe
obſervations, make the ſtar infinitely remote, may poſſibly
times with the addition or ſubduction of one ſole minute, reduce it
to a poſſible ſcituation: and this which I ſay of a minute, may
ſo happen in the correction of half a minute, a ſixth part, and leſs.
Now fix it well in your mind, that in the higheſt diſtances, that is
v. g. the height of Saturn, or that of the fixed Stars, very ſmall
errors made by the Obſervator, with the inſtrument, render the
ſcituation determinate and poſſible, infinite & impoſſible. This doth
not ſo evene in the ſublunary diſtances, and near the earth, where
it may happen that the obſervation by which the Star is collected to
be remote v. g. 4. Semidiameters terreſtrial, may encreaſe or
niſh, not onely one minute but ten, and an hundred, and many
more, without being rendred by the calculation either infinitely
remote, or ſo much as ſuperior to the Moon. You may hence
comprehend that the greatneſſe of the error (to ſo ſpeak)
mental, are not to be valued by the event of the calculation, but
by the quantity it ſelf of degrees and minutes numbred upon the
inſtrument, and theſe obſervations are to be called more juſt or
leſs erroneous, which with the addition or ſubſtraction of fewer
minutes, reſtore the ſtar to a poſſible ſituation; and amongſt the
poſſible places, the true one may be believed to have been that,
bout which a greater number of diſtances concurre upon
ting the more exact obſervations.