Archimedes Texts

134
the course of the wind, and the other sidelong, the wind will
quickly carry away this later, and leave the other where it was;
and the same to my seeming, ought to happen, if the Doctrine of
Aristotle were true, of those two shot out of a Bow: forasmuch
as the arrow shot sideways is driven by a great quantity of Air,
moved by the bowstring, to wit by as much as the said string is
long, whereas the other arrow receiveth no greater a quantity of
air, than the small circle of the strings thickness. And I cannot
imagine what may be the reason of such a difference, but would
fain know the same.

SIMP. The cause seemeth to me sufficiently manifest; and it
is, because the arrow shot endways, hath but a little quantity of
air to penetrate, and the other is to make its way through a quan
tity as great as its whole length.

SALV. Then it seems the arrows shot, are to penetrate the air?
but if the air goeth along with them, yea, is that which carrieth
them, what penetration can they make therein? Do you not see
that, in this case, the arrow would of necessity move with greater
velocity than the air? and this greater velocity, what doth confer
it on the arrow? Will you say the air giveth them a velocity
greater than its own? Know then, Simplicius, that the business
proceeds quite contrary to that which Aristotle saith, and that the

medium conferreth the motion on the project, is as false, as it is
true, that it is the onely thing which procureth its obstruction; and
having known this, you shall understand without finding any thing
whereof to make question, that if the air be really moved, it doth
much better carry the dart along with it longways, than endways,
for that the air which impelleth it in that posture, is much, and in
this very little. But shooting with the Bow, forasmuch as the air
stands still, the transverse arrow, being to force its passage through
much air, comes to be much impeded, and the other that was nock't
easily overcometh the obstruction of the small quantity of air,
which opposeth it self thereto.

SALV. How many Propositions have I observed in Aristotle,
(meaning still in Natural Philosophy) that are not onely false,
but false in such sort, that its diametrical contrary is true, as it
happens in this case. But pursuing the point in hand, I think that
Simplicius is perswaded, that, from seeing the stone always to fall
in the same place, he cannot conjecture either the motion or sta
bility of the Ship: and if what hath been hitherto spoken,
should not suffice, there is the Experiment of the medium which
may thorowly assure us thereof; in which experiment, the most
that could be seen would be, that the cadent moveable might be
left behind, if it were light, and that the air did not follow the
motion of the ship: but in case the air should move with equal