19616That the Earth may be a Planet.
’Tis reported of Clavius, that when lying
upon his Death-bed, he heard the firſt News
of thoſe Difcoveries which were made by
Gallilæus his Glaſs, he brake forth into theſe
words: Videre Aſtronomos, quo pacto conſtituen-
di ſunt orbes Cœleſtes, ut hœc Phœnomena ſalvari
poſſint: That it did behove Aſtronomers to
conſider of ſome other Hypotheſis, beſide that
of Ptolomy, whereby they might ſalve all thoſe
new appearances. Intimating that this old
one, which formerly he had defended, would
not now ſerve the turn: And doubtleſs, if he
had been informed how congruous all theſe
might have been unto the Opinion of Coper-
nicus, he would quickly have turned on that
ſide. ’Tis conſiderable, that amongſt the
followers of Copernicus, there are ſcarce any,
who were not formerly againſt him; and
ſuch, as at firſt, had been throughly
ſeaſoned with the Principles of Ariſtotle; in
which, for the moſt part, they have no leſs
skill, than thoſe who are ſo violent in the
defence of them. Whereas on the contrary,
there are very few to be found amongſt the
followers of Ariſtotle and Ptolomy, that have
read any thing in Copernicus, or do fully un-
derſtand the Grounds of his Opinion; and I
think, not any, who having been once ſetled
with any ſtrong aſſent on this ſide, that have
afterwards revolted from it. Now if we do
but ſeriouſly weigh with our ſelves, that ſo
many ingenious, conſidering Men, ſhould
reject that Opinion which they were nurſed
up in, and which is generally approved as
upon his Death-bed, he heard the firſt News
of thoſe Difcoveries which were made by
Gallilæus his Glaſs, he brake forth into theſe
words: Videre Aſtronomos, quo pacto conſtituen-
di ſunt orbes Cœleſtes, ut hœc Phœnomena ſalvari
poſſint: That it did behove Aſtronomers to
conſider of ſome other Hypotheſis, beſide that
of Ptolomy, whereby they might ſalve all thoſe
new appearances. Intimating that this old
one, which formerly he had defended, would
not now ſerve the turn: And doubtleſs, if he
had been informed how congruous all theſe
might have been unto the Opinion of Coper-
nicus, he would quickly have turned on that
ſide. ’Tis conſiderable, that amongſt the
followers of Copernicus, there are ſcarce any,
who were not formerly againſt him; and
ſuch, as at firſt, had been throughly
ſeaſoned with the Principles of Ariſtotle; in
which, for the moſt part, they have no leſs
skill, than thoſe who are ſo violent in the
defence of them. Whereas on the contrary,
there are very few to be found amongſt the
followers of Ariſtotle and Ptolomy, that have
read any thing in Copernicus, or do fully un-
derſtand the Grounds of his Opinion; and I
think, not any, who having been once ſetled
with any ſtrong aſſent on this ſide, that have
afterwards revolted from it. Now if we do
but ſeriouſly weigh with our ſelves, that ſo
many ingenious, conſidering Men, ſhould
reject that Opinion which they were nurſed
up in, and which is generally approved as
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