Salusbury, Thomas Mathematical collections and translations 1667

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406
from East to West, yet nevertheless the different Position of the
Shores may make part of the Water regurgitate, and return
backwards: I grant it you, but it is necessary that you take no­
tice my Simplicius, that where the Water upon that account
returneth backwards, it doth so there perpetually; and where
it runneth straight forwards, it runneth there alwayes in the same
manner; for so the example of the Rivers shewes you: But in the
case of the ebbing and flowing, you must finde and give us some
reason why it doth in the self same place run one while one way,
and another while another; Effects that being contrary & irregular,
can never be deduced from any uniform and constant Cause:
And this Argument, that overthrows the Hypothesis of the mo­
tion contributed to the Sea from the Heavens diurnal motion,
doth also confute that Position of those who would admit the sole
diurnal motion of the Earth, and believe that they are able with
that alone to give a reason of the Flux and Reflux: Of which
effect since it is irregular, the cause must of necessity be irregular
and alterable.

A reason of the
continual motion of
the Air and Wa­
ter may be given,
making the Earth
moveable, then by
making it immove­
able.

Its improbable that
the element of Fire
should be carried
round by the Con­
cave of the Moon.

+ A Treatise of our
Author formerly
cited.

The Ebbing and
Flowing cannot de­
pend on the motion
of Heaven.

SIMP. I have nothing to reply, neither of my own, by reason
of the weakness of my understanding; nor of that of others, for
that the Opinion is so new: But I could believe that if it were
spread amongst the Schools, there would not want Phylosophers
able to oppose it.

SAGR. Expect such an occasion; and we in the mean time
if it seem good to Salviatus, will proceed forward.

SALV. All that which hath been said hitherto, pertaineth to
the diurnal period of the ebbing and flowing; of which we have in
the first place demonstrated in general the primary and universal
Cause, without which, no such effect would follow: Afterw ds
passing to the particular Accidents, various, and in a certain sort
irregular, that are observed therein: We have handled the secon­
dary and concommitant Causes upon which they depend. Now
follow the two other Periods, Monethly, and Annual, which do
not bring with them new and different Accidents, other than
those already considered in the diurnal Period; but they ope­
rate on the same Accidents, by rendring them greater and lesser
in several parts of the Lunar Moneth, and in several times of
the Solar Year; as if that the Moon and Sun did each conceive
it self apart in operating and producing of those Effects; a thing
that totally clasheth with my understanding, which seeing how
that this of Seas is a local and sensible motion, made in an im­
mense mass of Water, it cannot be brought to subscribe to
Lights, to temperate Heats, to predominacies by occult Quali­
ties, and to such like vain Imaginations, that are so far from be­
ing, or being possible to be Causes of the Tide; that on the con­