1vations by the addition or ſubſtraction of two or three minutes, and
with that amendment to reduce it to poſſibility, a man ought
not to eſſay to adjuſt it by the addition or ſubſtraction of fifteen,
twenty, or fifty.
with that amendment to reduce it to poſſibility, a man ought
not to eſſay to adjuſt it by the addition or ſubſtraction of fifteen,
twenty, or fifty.
SIMP. I think the Authour would not deny this: for granting
that they are expert and judicious men, it ought to be thought that
they did rather erre little than much.
that they are expert and judicious men, it ought to be thought that
they did rather erre little than much.
SALV. Obſerve again; The places where the new Star is
ced, are ſome of them manifeſtly impoſſible, and others poſſible.
Abſolutely impoſſible it is, that it ſhould be an infinite ſpace
riour to the fixed Stars, for there is no ſuch place in the world;
and if there were, the Star there ſcituate would have been
ceptible to us: it is alſo impoſſible that it ſhould go creeping along
the ſuperficies of the Earth; and much leſſe that it ſhould be
within the ſaid Terreſtrial Globe. Places poſſible are theſe that
be in controverſie, it not interferring with our underſtanding, that
a viſible object in the likeneſſe of a Star might be aſwell above the
Moon, as below it. Now whilſt one goeth about to compute by
the way of Obſervations and Calculations made with the utmoſt
certainty that humane diligence can attain unto what its place was,
it is found that the greateſt part of thoſe Calculations make it
more than infinitely ſuperiour to the Firmament, others make it
very neer to the ſurface of the Earth, and ſome alſo under the
ſame; and of the reſt, which place it in ſituations not impoſſible,
none of them agree with each other; inſomuch that it muſt be
confeſſed, that all thoſe obſervations are neceſſarily falſe; ſo that
if we would nevertheleſs collect ſome fruit from ſo many laborious
calculations, we muſt have recourſe to the corrections, amending
all the obſervations.
ced, are ſome of them manifeſtly impoſſible, and others poſſible.
Abſolutely impoſſible it is, that it ſhould be an infinite ſpace
riour to the fixed Stars, for there is no ſuch place in the world;
and if there were, the Star there ſcituate would have been
ceptible to us: it is alſo impoſſible that it ſhould go creeping along
the ſuperficies of the Earth; and much leſſe that it ſhould be
within the ſaid Terreſtrial Globe. Places poſſible are theſe that
be in controverſie, it not interferring with our underſtanding, that
a viſible object in the likeneſſe of a Star might be aſwell above the
Moon, as below it. Now whilſt one goeth about to compute by
the way of Obſervations and Calculations made with the utmoſt
certainty that humane diligence can attain unto what its place was,
it is found that the greateſt part of thoſe Calculations make it
more than infinitely ſuperiour to the Firmament, others make it
very neer to the ſurface of the Earth, and ſome alſo under the
ſame; and of the reſt, which place it in ſituations not impoſſible,
none of them agree with each other; inſomuch that it muſt be
confeſſed, that all thoſe obſervations are neceſſarily falſe; ſo that
if we would nevertheleſs collect ſome fruit from ſo many laborious
calculations, we muſt have recourſe to the corrections, amending
all the obſervations.
SIMP. But the Authour will ſay, that of the obſervations that
aſſign to the Star impoſſible places, there ought no account to be
made, as being extreamly erroneous and falſe; and thoſe onely
ought to be accepted, that conſtitute it in places not impoſſible:
and amongſt theſe a man ought to ſeek, by help of the moſt
bable, and moſt numerous concurrences, not if the particular and
exact ſituation, that is, its true diſtance from the centre of the
Earth, at leaſt, whether it was amongſt the Elements, or elſe
mongſt the Cœleſtial bodies.
aſſign to the Star impoſſible places, there ought no account to be
made, as being extreamly erroneous and falſe; and thoſe onely
ought to be accepted, that conſtitute it in places not impoſſible:
and amongſt theſe a man ought to ſeek, by help of the moſt
bable, and moſt numerous concurrences, not if the particular and
exact ſituation, that is, its true diſtance from the centre of the
Earth, at leaſt, whether it was amongſt the Elements, or elſe
mongſt the Cœleſtial bodies.
SALV. The diſcourſe which you now make, is the ſelf ſame
that the Author made, in favour of his cauſe, but with too
ſonable a diſadvantage to his adverſaries; and this is that
pal point that hath made me exceſſively to wonder at the too great
confidence that he expreſſed to have, no leſs of his own authority,
than of the blindneſs and inadvertency of the Aſtronomers; in
favour of whom I will ſpeak, and you ſhall anſwer for the Author.
that the Author made, in favour of his cauſe, but with too
ſonable a diſadvantage to his adverſaries; and this is that
pal point that hath made me exceſſively to wonder at the too great
confidence that he expreſſed to have, no leſs of his own authority,
than of the blindneſs and inadvertency of the Aſtronomers; in
favour of whom I will ſpeak, and you ſhall anſwer for the Author.
zoom in
zoom out
zoom area
full page
page width
set mark
remove mark
get reference
digilib