1proach towards the Æquilibrium, the incurvation of the arches
of the courſes on the contrary ſhall, by degrees, increaſe.
of the courſes on the contrary ſhall, by degrees, increaſe.
A concipt that
came ſuddenly
to the minde of
the Academian
Lyncæus
ing the great
ſequence that
lowed upon the
tion of the Solar
ſpots.
came ſuddenly
to the minde of
the Academian
Lyncæus
ing the great
ſequence that
lowed upon the
tion of the Solar
ſpots.
Extravagant
tations to be
ved in the motions
of the ſpots,
ſeen by the
demick, in caſe
the Earth had the
annual motion.
tations to be
ved in the motions
of the ſpots,
ſeen by the
demick, in caſe
the Earth had the
annual motion.
SAGR. I confeſſe, Salviatus, that to interrupt you in your
Diſcourſe is ill manners, but I eſteem it no leſſe rudeneſs to
mit you to run on any farther in words, whilſt they are, as the
ſaying is, caſt into the air: for, to ſpeak freely, I know not how
to form any diſtinct conceit of ſo much as one of theſe
ons, that you have pronounced; but becauſe, as I thus
ly and confuſedly apprehend them, they hold forth things of
mirable conſequence, I would gladly, ſome way or other, be
made to underſtand the ſame.
Diſcourſe is ill manners, but I eſteem it no leſſe rudeneſs to
mit you to run on any farther in words, whilſt they are, as the
ſaying is, caſt into the air: for, to ſpeak freely, I know not how
to form any diſtinct conceit of ſo much as one of theſe
ons, that you have pronounced; but becauſe, as I thus
ly and confuſedly apprehend them, they hold forth things of
mirable conſequence, I would gladly, ſome way or other, be
made to underſtand the ſame.
SALV. The ſame that befalls you, befell me alſo, whilſt my
Gueſt tranſported me with bare words; who afterwards aſſiſted
my capacity, by deſcribing the buſineſſe upon a material
ment, which was no other than a ſimple Sphere, making uſe of
ſome of its circles, but to a different purpoſe from that, to which
they are commonly applied. Now I will ſupply the defect of
the Sphere, by drawing the ſame upon a piece of paper, as need
ſhall require. And to repreſent the firſt accident by me
ded, which was, that the courſes or journeys of the ſpots, twice
a year, and no more, might be ſeen to be made in right lines, let
us ſuppoſe this point O [in Fig. 4.] to be the centre of the grand
Orb, or, if you will, of the Ecliptick, and likewiſe alſo of the
Globe of the Sun it ſelf; of which, by reaſon of the great
ſtance that is between it and the Earth, we that live upon the
Earth, may ſuppoſe that we ſee the one half: we will therefore
deſcribe this circle A B C D about the ſaid centre O, which
ſenteth unto us the extream term that divideth and ſeparates the
Hemiſphere of the Sun that is apparent to us, from the other that
is occult. And becauſe that our eye, no leſſe than the centre of
the Earth, is underſtood to be in the plane of the Ecliptick, in
which is likewiſe the centre of the Sun, therefore, if we ſhould
fancy to our ſelves the body of the Sun to be cut thorow by the
ſaid plane, the ſection will appear to our eye a right line, which
let be B O D, and upon that a perpendicular being let fall AOC,
it ſhall be the Axis of the ſaid Ecliptick, and of the annual
tion of the Terreſtrial Globe. Let us next ſuppoſe the Solar body
(without changing centre) to revolve in it ſelf, not about the
Axis A O C (which is the erect Axis upon the plane of the
cliptick) but about one ſomewhat inclined, which let be this
E O I, the which fixed and unchangeable Axis maintaineth it ſelf
perpetually in the ſame inclination and direction towards the
ſame points of the Firmament, and of the Univerſe. And
cauſe, in the revolutions of the Solar Globe, each point of its
perficies (the Poles excepted) deſcribeth the circumference of a
Gueſt tranſported me with bare words; who afterwards aſſiſted
my capacity, by deſcribing the buſineſſe upon a material
ment, which was no other than a ſimple Sphere, making uſe of
ſome of its circles, but to a different purpoſe from that, to which
they are commonly applied. Now I will ſupply the defect of
the Sphere, by drawing the ſame upon a piece of paper, as need
ſhall require. And to repreſent the firſt accident by me
ded, which was, that the courſes or journeys of the ſpots, twice
a year, and no more, might be ſeen to be made in right lines, let
us ſuppoſe this point O [in Fig. 4.] to be the centre of the grand
Orb, or, if you will, of the Ecliptick, and likewiſe alſo of the
Globe of the Sun it ſelf; of which, by reaſon of the great
ſtance that is between it and the Earth, we that live upon the
Earth, may ſuppoſe that we ſee the one half: we will therefore
deſcribe this circle A B C D about the ſaid centre O, which
ſenteth unto us the extream term that divideth and ſeparates the
Hemiſphere of the Sun that is apparent to us, from the other that
is occult. And becauſe that our eye, no leſſe than the centre of
the Earth, is underſtood to be in the plane of the Ecliptick, in
which is likewiſe the centre of the Sun, therefore, if we ſhould
fancy to our ſelves the body of the Sun to be cut thorow by the
ſaid plane, the ſection will appear to our eye a right line, which
let be B O D, and upon that a perpendicular being let fall AOC,
it ſhall be the Axis of the ſaid Ecliptick, and of the annual
tion of the Terreſtrial Globe. Let us next ſuppoſe the Solar body
(without changing centre) to revolve in it ſelf, not about the
Axis A O C (which is the erect Axis upon the plane of the
cliptick) but about one ſomewhat inclined, which let be this
E O I, the which fixed and unchangeable Axis maintaineth it ſelf
perpetually in the ſame inclination and direction towards the
ſame points of the Firmament, and of the Univerſe. And
cauſe, in the revolutions of the Solar Globe, each point of its
perficies (the Poles excepted) deſcribeth the circumference of a