Archimedes Texts

light, and to be openly maintained without contradiction; but
this also might be dispensed with, in respect of the other greater
occasions of laughter, wherewith we may confront them depend
ing on the dissimulation of the intelligent, touching the follies of
these opponents of the Doctrines that they well enough under
stand.

SAGR. I desire not a greater proof of those mens petulancy,
and the infelicity of a Copernican, subject to be opposed by such
as understand not so much as the very first positions, upon which
he undertakes the quarrel.

SALV. You will be no lesse astonished at their method in con
futing the Astronomers, who affirm the new Stars to be superiour
to the Orbs of the Planets; and peradventure in the ^{†} Firmament

it self.

† He taketh the
Firmament for the
Starry Sphere, and
as we vulgarly re
ceive the word.

SAGR. But how could you in so short a time examine all this
Book, which is so great a Volume, and must needs contain very
many demonstrations.?

SALV. I have confined my self to these his first confutations, in
which with twelve demonstrations founded upon the observations
of twelve Astronomers, (who all held, that the Star, Anno 1572.
which appeared in Cassiopeia, was in the Firmament) he proveth it
on the contrary, to be beneath the Moon, conferring, two by two,
the meridian altitudes, proceeding in the method that you shall
understand by and by. And because, I think, that in the exami
nation of this his first progression, I have discovered in this Au
thour a great unlikelihood of his ability to conclude any thing a
gainst the Astronomers, in favour of the Peripatetick Philosophers,
and that their opinion is more and more concludently confirmed,
I could not apply my self with the like patience in examining his
other methods, but have given a very slight glance upon them,
and am certain, that the defect that is in these first impugnations,
is likewise in the rest. And as you shall see, by experience, very
few words will suffice to confute this whole Book, though compi
led with so great a number of laborious calculations, as here you

see. Therefore observe my proceedings. This Authour under
taketh, as I say, to wound his adversaries with their own weapons,
i.e. a great number of observations made by themselves, to wit, by
twelve or thirteen Authours in number, and upon part of them he
makes his supputations, and concludeth those stars to have been
below the Moon. Now because the proceeding by interrogato
ries very much pleaseth me, in regard the Authour himself is not
here, let Simplicius answer me to the questions that I shall ask
him, as he thinks he himself would, if he were present. And pre
supposing that we speak of the foresaid Star, of Anno 1572. ap