Archimedes Texts

254
pearing in Cassiopeia, tell me, Simplicius, whether you believe that
it might be in the same time placed in divers places, that is, a
mongst the Elements, aud also amongst the planetary Orbs, and
also above these amongst the fixed Stars, and yet again infinitely
more high.

The method ob
served by Clar. in
confuting the A
stronomers, and by
Salviatus in confu
ting him.

SIMP. There is no doubt, but that it ought to be confessed
that it is but in one only place, and at one sole and determinate
distance from the Earth.

SALV. Therefore if the observations made by the Astrono
mers were exact, and the calculations made by this Author were
not erroneous, it were easie from all those and all these to re
collect the same distances alwayes to an hair, is not this true?

SIMP. My reason hitherto tells me that so it must needs be;
nor do I believe that the Author would contradict it

SALV. But when of many and many computations that have
been made, there should not be so much as two onely that prove
true, what would you think of them?

SIMP. I would think that they were all false, either through
the fault of the computist, or through the defect of the obser
vators, and at the most that could be said, I would say, that but
onely one of them and no more was true; but as yet I know not
which to choose.

SALV. Would you then from false fundamentals deduce and
establish a doubtful conclusion for ttue? Certainly no. Now the
calculations of this Author are such, that no one of them agrees
with another, you may see then what credit is to be given to
them.

SIMP. Indeed, if it be so, this is a notable failing.

SAGR. But by the way I have a mind to help Simplicius, and
the Author by telling Salviatus, that his arguments would hold
good if the Author had undertook to go about to find out exact
ly the distance of the Star from the Earth, which I do not think
to be his intention; but onely to demonstrate that from those
observations he collected that the Star was sublunary. So
that if from those observations, and from all the computations
made thereon, the height of the Star be alwayes collected to be
lesse than that of the Moon, it serves the Authors turn to con
vince all those Astronomers of most impardonable ignorance,
that through the defect either of Geometry or Arithmetick, have
not known how to draw true conclusions from their own observa
tions themselves.

SALV. It will be convenient therefore that I turn my self to
you, Sagredus, who so cunningly aphold the Doctrine of this
Author. And to see whether I can make Simplicius, though not
very expert in calcnlations, and demonstrations to apprehend the