Archimedes Texts

SAGR. In my judgment this is found. Make the Earth the
Primum mobile, that is, make it turn round its own axis in twenty
four hours, and towards the same point with all the other Spheres;
and without participating this same motion to any other Planet or
Star, all shall have their risings, settings, and in a word, all their
other appearances.

SIMPL. The business is, to be able to make the Earth move
without athousand inconveniences.

SALV. All the inconveniences shall be removed as fast as you
propound them: and the things spoken hitherto are onely the
primary and more general inducements which give us to believe
that the diurnal conversion may not altogether without probabi
lity be applyed to the Earth, rather than to all the rest of the U
niverse: the which inducements I impose not upon you as invio
lable Axioms, but as hints, which carry with them somewhat of
likelihood. And in regard I know very well, that one sole ex

periment, or concludent demonstration, produced on the contrary
part, sufficeth to batter to the ground these and a thousand other
probable Arguments; therefore it is not fit to stay here, but proceed
forwards and hear what Simplicius answereth, and what greater
probabilities, or stronger arguments he alledgeth on the contrary.

One single ex
periment, or sound
demonstration bat
tereth down all ar
guments meerly
probable.

SIMPL. I will first say something in general upon all these con
siderations together, and then I will descend to some particulars.
It seems that you universally bottom all you say upon the greater
simplicity and facility of producing the same effects, whilst you
hold, that as to the causing of them, the motion of the Earth a
lone, serveth as well as that of all the rest of the World, the Earth
deducted: but as to the operations, you esteem that much easier
than this. To which I reply, that I am also of the same opinion,
so long as I regard my own not onely finite, but feeble power;
but having a respect to the strength of the Mover, which is in
finite, its no lesse easie to move the Universe, than the Earth,
yea than a straw. And if his power be infinite, why should he not

rather exercise a greater part thereof than a lesse? Therefore,
I hold that your discourse in general is not convincing.

Of an infinite
power one would
think a greater
part should rather
be imploy'd than a
lesse.

SALV. If I had at any time said, that the Universe moved not
for want of power in the Mover, I should have erred, and your
reproof would have been seasonable; and I grant you, that to
an infinite power, it is as easie to move an hundred thousand, as
one. But that which I did say, concerns not the Mover, but one
ly hath respect to the Moveables; and in them, not onely to
their resistance, which doubtlesse is lesser in the Earth, than in
the Universe; but to the many other particulars, but even now
considered. As to what you say in the next place, that of an in
finite power it is better to exercise a great part than a small: I an