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

List of thumbnails

< >
351
351 		352
352
353
353 		354
354
355
355 		356
356
357
357 		358
358
359
359 		360
360
< >
page |< < of 701 > >|
    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb xlink:href="040/01/355.jpg" pagenum="335"/>
              while imperceptible, not to ſay ſmall. </s>
              <s>This being ſo, I demand
                <lb/>
              in relation to what the Starry Sphere of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Copernicus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              may be
                <lb/>
              led over vaſt. </s>
              <s>In my judgment it cannot be compared, or ſaid
                <lb/>
              to be ſuch, unleſſe it be in relation to ſome other thing of the
                <lb/>
              ſame kind; now let us take the very leaſt of the ſame kind,
                <lb/>
                <arrow.to.target n="marg625"/>
                <lb/>
              which ſhall be the Lunar Orb; and if the Starry Orb may be ſo
                <lb/>
              cenſured to be too big in reſpect to that of the Moon, every
                <lb/>
              ther magnitude that with like or greater proportion exceedeth
                <lb/>
              another of the ſame kind, ought to be adjudged too vaſt, and
                <lb/>
              for the ſame reaſon to be denied that they are to be found in the
                <lb/>
              World; and thus an Elephant, and a Whale, ſhall without more
                <lb/>
              ado be condemned for
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Chymæra's,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              and Poetical fictions,
                <lb/>
              cauſe that the one as being too vaſt in relation to an Ant, which
                <lb/>
              is a Terreſtrial animal, and the other in reſpect to the ^{*}Gudgeon,
                <lb/>
                <arrow.to.target n="marg626"/>
                <lb/>
              which is a Fiſh, and are certainly ſeen to be
                <emph type="italics"/>
              in rerum natura,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              would be too immeaſurable; for without all diſpute, the
                <lb/>
              phant and Whale exceed the Ant and Gudgeon in a much
                <lb/>
              er proportion than the Starry Sphere doth that of the Moon,
                <lb/>
              although we ſhould fancy the ſaid Sphere to be as big as the
                <emph type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              pernican
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Syſteme maketh it. </s>
              <s>Moreover, how hugely big is the
                <lb/>
                <arrow.to.target n="marg627"/>
                <lb/>
              Sphere of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Jupiter,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              or that of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Saturn,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              defigned for a receptacle
                <lb/>
              but for one ſingle ſtar; and that very ſmall in compariſon of one
                <lb/>
              of the fixed? </s>
              <s>Certainly if we ſhould aſſign to every one of the
                <lb/>
              fixed ſtars for its receptacle ſo great a part of the Worlds ſpace,
                <lb/>
              it would be neceſſary to make the Orb wherein ſuch innumerable
                <lb/>
              multitudes of them reſide, very many thouſands of times
                <lb/>
              ger than that which ſerveth the purpoſe of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Copernicus.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Beſides,
                <lb/>
                <arrow.to.target n="marg628"/>
                <lb/>
              do not you call a fixed ſtar very ſmall, I mean even one of the
                <lb/>
              moſt apparent, and not one of thoſe which ſhun our ſight; and
                <lb/>
              do we not call them ſo in reſpect of the vaſt ſpace circumfuſed?
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>Now if the whole Starry Sphere were one entire lucid body; who
                <lb/>
                <arrow.to.target n="marg629"/>
                <lb/>
              is there, that doth not know that in an infinite ſpace there might be
                <lb/>
              aſſigned a diſtance ſo great, as that the ſaid lucid Sphere might
                <lb/>
              from thence ſhew as little, yea leſſe than a fixed ſtar, now
                <lb/>
              peareth beheld from the Earth? </s>
              <s>From thence therefore we
                <lb/>
              ſhould
                <emph type="italics"/>
              then
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              judg that ſelf ſame thing to be little, which
                <emph type="italics"/>
              now
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              from
                <lb/>
              hence we eſteem to be immeaſurably great.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="margin">
              <s>
                <margin.target id="marg624"/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Great, ſmall,
                <lb/>
              immenſe,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              &c.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              are
                <lb/>
              relative terms.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="margin">
              <s>
                <margin.target id="marg625"/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Vanity of thoſe
                <lb/>
              mens diſcour ſewho
                <lb/>
              judg the ſtarry
                <lb/>
              ſphere too vaſt in
                <lb/>
              the
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              Copernican
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Hypotheſis.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="margin">
              <s>
                <margin.target id="marg626"/>
              *
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Spilloncola,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              which
                <lb/>
              is here put for the
                <lb/>
              leaſt of Fiſhes.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="margin">
              <s>
                <margin.target id="marg627"/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              The ſpace
                <lb/>
              ſigned to a fixed
                <lb/>
              ſtar, is much ieſſe
                <lb/>
              than that of a
                <lb/>
              net.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="margin">
              <s>
                <margin.target id="marg628"/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              A ſtar is
                <lb/>
              led in reſpect of the
                <lb/>
              ſpace that environs
                <lb/>
              it.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="margin">
              <s>
                <margin.target id="marg629"/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              The whole
                <lb/>
              ry ſphere beheld
                <lb/>
              from a great
                <lb/>
              ſtance might
                <lb/>
              pear as ſmall as
                <lb/>
              one ſingle ſtar.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>SAGR. </s>
              <s>Great in my judgment, is the folly of thoſe who
                <lb/>
              would have had God to have made the World more proportinal
                <lb/>
              to the narrow capacities of their reaſon, than to his immenſe,
                <lb/>
              rather infinite power.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>SIMP. </s>
              <s>All this that you ſay is very true; but that upon
                <lb/>
              which the adverſary makes a ſcruple, is, to grant that a fixed
                <lb/>
              ſtar ſhould be not onely equal to, but ſo much bigger than the
                <lb/>
              Sun; when as they both are particular bodies ſituate within the </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
Impressum