Archimedes Texts

SIMP. But this seemeth to me a very lame evasion; for the ad
verse party may with as much reason reply, that those are errone
ous wherewith he collecteth the star to have been in the Elemen
tary Region.

SALV. Oh Simplicius, if I could but make you comprehend
the craft, though no great craftinesse of this Author, I should
make you to wonder, and also to be angry to see how that he
palliating his sagacity with the vail of the simplicity of your self;
and the rest of meer Philosophers, would insinuate himself into
your good opinion, by tickling your cars, and swelling your am
bition, pretending to have convinced and silenced these petty
Astronomers, who went about to assault the impregnable inalte
rability of the Peripatetick Heaven, and which is more, to have
foild and conquered them with their own arms. I will try with all
my ability to do the same; and in the mean time let Sagredus
take it in good part, if Simplicius and I try his patience, perhaps
a little too much, whilst that with a superfluous circumlocution
(superfluous I say to his most nimble apprehension) I go about to
make out a thing, which it is not convenient should be hid and
unknown unto him.

SAGR. I shall not onely without wearinesse, but also with
much delight hearken to your discourses; and so ought all Peripa
tetick Philosophers, to the end they may know how much they
are oblieged to this their Protector.

SALV. Tell me, Simplicius, whether you do well comprehend,
how, the new star being placed in the meridian circle yonder to
wards the North, the same to one that from the South should
go towards the North, would seem to rise higher and higher a
bove the Horizon, as much as the Pole, although it should have
been scituate amongst the fixed stars; but, that in case it were
considerably lower, that is nearer to the Earth, it would appear
to ascend more than the said pole, and still more by how much
its vicinity was greater?

SIMP. I think that I do very well conceive the same; in to
ken whereof I will try if I can make a mathematical Scheme of
it, and in this great circle [in Fig. 1. of this Dialogue.] I will
marke the pole P; and in these two lower circles I will note two
stars beheld from one place on the Earth, which let be A; and
let the two stars be these B and C, beheld in the same line A B C,
which line I prolong till it meet with a fixed star in D. And then
walking along the Earth, till I come to the term E, the two
stars will appear to me separated from the fixed star D, and ad
vanced neerer to the pole P, and the lower star B more, which
will appear to me in G, and the star C lesse, which will ap
pear to me in F, but the fixed star D will have kept the same
distance from the Pole.