Archimedes Texts

251
where I was stranded, and forced to stay there more than a full
hour, in expecting the return of the tide: and there waiting in
this manner, without being able to get out of the boat, which on a
sudden ran a ground, I observed a certain accident, which to me

seemed very strange; and it was this, that in the waters ebbing
I saw it retreat very fast by several small rivolets, the ouze being
in many places discovered, and whilst I stood looking upon this ef
fect, I saw this motion in an instant to cease, and without a mi
nutes interval the same water to begin to return back again, and
the tide from ebbing to become young flood, without standing
still a moment: an effect that as long as I have dwelt in Venice,
I never took notice of before.

SAGR. It is very much, that you should be left thus on ground,
amongst small Channels; in which rivolets, as having very little
declivity, the rising or falling of the main sea, the thickness onely
of a paper is sufficient to make the water to ebbe and flow for good
long spaces of time: like as in some creeks of the Sea, its flowing
four or six ^{*} yards onely, maketh the water to overflow the adja
cent Marshes for some hundreds and thousands of ^{*} acres.

SIMP. This I know very well, but I should have thought, that
between the ultimate terme of ebbing, and the first beginnng to
flow, there should have interposed some considerable interval of
rest.

SAGR. This will appear unto you, if you cast your eye upon
the bank or piles, where these mutations are made perpendicular
ly, but not that there is any real time of cessation.

SIMP. I did think, that because these two motions were con
trary, there ought to be in the midst between them some kind of
rest; conformable to the Doctrine of Aristotle, which demonstrates.
that in puncto regressus mediat quies.

SAGR. I very well remember this place: but I bear in minde
also, that when I read Philosophy, I was not thorowly satisfied
with Aristotles demonstration; but that I had many experiments
on the contrary, which I could still rehearse unto you, but I am
unwilling to sally out into any other digressions, we being met
here to discourse of the proposed mattes, if it be possible, without
these excursions wherewith we have interrupted our disputes in
those dayes that are past.

SIMP. And yet we may with convenience, if not interrupt
them, at least prolong them very much, for returning yester
day home, I set my sels to read the Tractate of Conclusions, where
I find Demonstrations against this annual motion ascribed to the
Earth, very solid; and because I would not trust my memory with
the punctual relation of them, I have brought back the Book a
long with me.