1ſpake not friendly, when you ſaid you did not know that ſame
fallacy which you now confeſſe that you know very well.
fallacy which you now confeſſe that you know very well.
SAGR. The very confeſſion of knowing it may aſſure you
that I did not diſſemble, when I ſaid that I did not underſtand it;
for if I had had a mind, and would diſſemble, who could
der me from continuing in the ſame ſimulation, and denying ſtill
that I underſtand the fallacy? I ſay therefore that I underſtood
not the ſame, at that time, but that I do now at this preſent
prehend it, for that you have prompted my intellect, firſt by
telling me reſolutely that it is null, and then by beginning to
queſtion me ſo at large what thing that might be, whereby I
might come to know the ſtation and retrogradation of the
nets; and becauſe this is known by comparing them with the
ed ſtars, in relation to which, they are ſeen to vary their
tions, one while towards the Weſt, and another towards the
Eaſt, and ſometimes to abide immoveable; and becauſe there
is not any thing above the Starry Sphere, immenſely more remote
from us, and viſible unto us, wherewith we may compare our
fixed ſtars, therefore we cannot diſcover in the fixed ſtars any
foot-ſteps of what appeareth to us in the Planets. This I believe
is the ſubſtance of that which you would force from me.
that I did not diſſemble, when I ſaid that I did not underſtand it;
for if I had had a mind, and would diſſemble, who could
der me from continuing in the ſame ſimulation, and denying ſtill
that I underſtand the fallacy? I ſay therefore that I underſtood
not the ſame, at that time, but that I do now at this preſent
prehend it, for that you have prompted my intellect, firſt by
telling me reſolutely that it is null, and then by beginning to
queſtion me ſo at large what thing that might be, whereby I
might come to know the ſtation and retrogradation of the
nets; and becauſe this is known by comparing them with the
ed ſtars, in relation to which, they are ſeen to vary their
tions, one while towards the Weſt, and another towards the
Eaſt, and ſometimes to abide immoveable; and becauſe there
is not any thing above the Starry Sphere, immenſely more remote
from us, and viſible unto us, wherewith we may compare our
fixed ſtars, therefore we cannot diſcover in the fixed ſtars any
foot-ſteps of what appeareth to us in the Planets. This I believe
is the ſubſtance of that which you would force from me.
The ſtation,
rection and
gradation of the
Planets is known,
in relation to the
fixed ſtars.
rection and
gradation of the
Planets is known,
in relation to the
fixed ſtars.
SALV. It is ſo, with the addition moreover of your
rable ingenuity; and if with half a word I did open your eyes,
you by the like have remembred me that it is not altogether
poſſible, but that ſometime or other ſomething obſervable may
be found amongſt the fixed ſtars, by which it may be gathered
wherein the annual converſion reſides, ſo as that they alſo no
leſſe than the Planets and Sun it ſelf, may appear in judgment to
bear witneſſe of that motion, in favour of the Earth; for I do not
think that the ſtas are ſpread in a ſpherical ſuperficies equally
mote from a common centre, but hold, that their diſtances from
us are ſo various, that ſome of them may be twice and thrice as
remote as others; ſo that if with the Teleſcope one ſhould
ſerve a very ſmall ſtar neer to one of the bigger, and which
therefore was very exceeding high, it might happen that ſome
ſenſible mutation might fall out between them, correſpondent
to that of the ſuperiour Planets. And ſo much ſhall ſerve to have
ſpoken at this time touching the ſtars placed in the Ecliptick.
Let us now come to the fixed ſtars, placed out of the Ecliptick,
and let us ſuppoſe a great circle erect upor [i. e. at right angles
to] the Plane of the ^{*} ſame; and let it, for example, be a cir
cle that in the Starry Sphere anſwers to the Solſtitial Colure,
and let us mark it C E H [in Fig. 8.] which ſhall happen to be
withal a Meridian, and in it we will take a ſtar without the
tick, which let be E. Now this ſtar will indeed vary its
rable ingenuity; and if with half a word I did open your eyes,
you by the like have remembred me that it is not altogether
poſſible, but that ſometime or other ſomething obſervable may
be found amongſt the fixed ſtars, by which it may be gathered
wherein the annual converſion reſides, ſo as that they alſo no
leſſe than the Planets and Sun it ſelf, may appear in judgment to
bear witneſſe of that motion, in favour of the Earth; for I do not
think that the ſtas are ſpread in a ſpherical ſuperficies equally
mote from a common centre, but hold, that their diſtances from
us are ſo various, that ſome of them may be twice and thrice as
remote as others; ſo that if with the Teleſcope one ſhould
ſerve a very ſmall ſtar neer to one of the bigger, and which
therefore was very exceeding high, it might happen that ſome
ſenſible mutation might fall out between them, correſpondent
to that of the ſuperiour Planets. And ſo much ſhall ſerve to have
ſpoken at this time touching the ſtars placed in the Ecliptick.
Let us now come to the fixed ſtars, placed out of the Ecliptick,
and let us ſuppoſe a great circle erect upor [i. e. at right angles
to] the Plane of the ^{*} ſame; and let it, for example, be a cir
cle that in the Starry Sphere anſwers to the Solſtitial Colure,
and let us mark it C E H [in Fig. 8.] which ſhall happen to be
withal a Meridian, and in it we will take a ſtar without the
tick, which let be E. Now this ſtar will indeed vary its
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