Salusbury, Thomas, Mathematical collections and translations (Tome I), 1667

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            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="040/01/282.jpg" pagenum="262"/>
              ſtar from the centre of the Earth 4 ſemidiameters, which are theſe,
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              the fifth and ſixth, therefore it is more probable that the new ſtar
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              was elementary, than celeſtial.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>SALV. </s>
              <s>You miſtake the point; for if you note well it was not
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              written, that the diſtance was exactly 4 ſemidiameters, but about
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              4 ſemidiameters; and yet you ſhall ſee that thoſe two diſtances
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              differed from each other many hundreds of miles. </s>
              <s>Here they are;
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              you ſee that this fifth, which is 13389
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Italian
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              miles, exceeds the
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              ſixth, which is 13100 miles, by almoſt 300 miles.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>SAGR. </s>
              <s>Which then are thoſe few that agree in placing the ſtar
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              in the ſame ſituation?</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>SALV. </s>
              <s>They are, to the diſgrace of this Author five workings,
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              which all place it in the firmament, as you ſhall ſee in this note,
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              where I have ſet down many other combinations. </s>
              <s>But I will grant
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              the Author more than peradventure he would demand of me, which
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              is in ſum, that in each combination of the obſervations there is
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              ſome error; which I believe to be abſolutely neceſſary; for the
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              obſervations being four in number that ſerve for one working,
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              that is, two different altitudes of the Pole, and two different
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              tions of the ſtar, made by different obſervers, in different
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              ces, with different inſtruments, who ever hath any ſmall know­</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <arrow.to.target n="marg512"/>
                <lb/>
              ledg of this art, will ſay, that amongſt all the four, it is impoſſible
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              but there will be ſome error; and eſpecially ſince we ſee that in
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              taking but one onely altitude of the Pole, with the ſame
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              ment, in the ſame place, by the ſame obſerver, that hath
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              peated the obſervation a thouſand times, there will ſtill be a
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              bation of one, or ſometimes of many minutes, as in this ſame
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              book you may ſee in ſeveral places. </s>
              <s>Theſe things preſuppoſed,
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              I ask you
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Simplicius
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              whether you believe that this Authour held
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              theſe thirteen obſervators for wiſe, underſtanding and expert men
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              in uſing thoſe inſtruments, or elſe for inexpert, and bunglers?</s>
            </p>
            <p type="margin">
              <s>
                <margin.target id="marg512"/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Aſtronomical
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              struments are very
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              ſubject to errour.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>SIMP. </s>
              <s>It muſt needs be that he eſteemed them very acute and
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              intelligent; for if he had thought them unskilful in the buſineſſe,
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              he might have omitted his ſixth book as inconcluſive, as being
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              founded upon ſuppoſitions very erroneous; and might take us for
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              exceſſively ſimple, if he ſhould think he could with their
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              pertneſſe perſwade us to believe a falſe poſition of his for truth.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>SALV. </s>
              <s>Therefore theſe obſervators being ſuch, and that yet
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              notwithſtanding they did erre, and ſo conſequently needed
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              rection, that ſo one might from their obſervations infer the
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              beſt hints that may be; it is convenient that we apply unto them
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              the leaſt and neereſt emendations and corrections that may be;
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              ſo that they do but ſuffice to reduce the obſervations from
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              ſibility to poſſibility; ſo as
                <emph type="italics"/>
              v. </s>
              <s>gr.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              if one may but correct a
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              feſt errour, and an apparent impoſſibility of one of their </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
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