Foscarini, Paolo Antonio, An epistle to fantoni, 1661

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              <s>
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              well to this of
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              Copernicus,
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              as to the Vulgar Opinion; ſo that they
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              are both alike concerned in the ſolution of it: But ſo far as it
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              oppoſeth that of
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              Copernicus,
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              its anſwer is eaſy from the Firſt
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              Maxim.</s>
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              <s>But that which is added in the Fourth Claſſe, That it follow­
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              eth from this Opinion, that Hell (for that it is included by the
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              Earth, as is commonly held) doth move circularly about the
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              Sun, and in Heaven, and that ſo Hell it ſelf will be found to be
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              in Heaven; diſcovers, in my judgment, nothing but Ignorance
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              and Calumny, that inſinuate the belief of their Arguments ra­
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              ther by a corrupt ſenſe of the Words, than by ſolid Reaſons
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              taken from the boſome of the Nature of things. </s>
              <s>For in this
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              place Heaven is no wiſe to be taken for Paradice, nor according
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              to the Senſe of Common Opinion, but (as hath been ſaid above)
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              according to the
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              Copernican
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              Hypotheſis, for the ſubtileſt and
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              Pureſt Aire, far more tenuous and rare than this of ours; where­
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              upon the Solid Bodies of the Stars, Moon, and Earth, in their
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              Circular and Ordinary Motions, do paſſe thorow it, (the Sphære
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              of Fire being by this Opinion taken away.) And as according
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              to the Common Opinion it was no abſurdity to ſay, That Hell
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              being demerged in the Centre of the Earth and of the World it
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              ſelf, hath Heaven and Paradice above and below it, yea and on
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              all ſides of it, and that it is in the middle of all the Cœleſtial
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              Bodies (as if it were poſited in a more unworthy place) ſo, nei­
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              ther in this will it be deemed an Error, if from the other Syſtem,
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              which differeth not much from the Vulgar one, thoſe or the like
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              things follow as do in that. </s>
              <s>For both in that of
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              Copernicus,
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              and
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              the Vulgar Hypotheſis, Hell is ſuppoſed to be placed amongſt the
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              very dreggs of the Elements, and in the Centre of the Earth it
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              ſelf, for the confinement and puniſhment of the damned. </s>
              <s>There­
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              fore we ought not for want of Reaſons to trifle away time in
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              vain and impertinent ſtrife about words, ſince their true Senſe
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              is clouded then with no obſcurity, and in regard that it is very
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              clear to any man indued with a refined Intellect, and that hath
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              but an indifferent judgment in the Liberal Arts, and eſpecially
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              in the Mathematicks, that the ſame, or not very different Gon­
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              ſequences do flow from both theſe Opinions.</s>
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              Heaven accord­
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              ing to Copernicus
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              is the ſame with
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              the moſt tenuous
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              Æther; but dif­
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              ferent from Para­
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              dice, which ſar­
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              paſſeth all the
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              Heavens.
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              </s>
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              <s>By theſe Maxims and their Interpretations it appears, that
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              the
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              Pythagorick
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              and
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              Copernican
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              Opinion is ſo probable, that its
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              poſſible it may exceed even the
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              Ptolemaick
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              in probability; and
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              ſince there may be deduced from it a moſt ordinate Syſteme, and
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              a mroe admirable and myſterious Hypotheſis of the World
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              than from that of
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              Ptolomy:
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              the Authorities of Sacred Scripture
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              and Theological Tenents in the mean while not oppoſing it, be­
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              ing opportunely and appoſitely (as I have ſhown how they may </s>
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