Archimedes Texts

But yet because the common Systeme of the World devised by
Ptolomy hath hitherto satisfied none of the Learned, hereupon a
suspicion is risen up amongst all, even Ptolemy's followers them
selves, that there must be some other Systeme, which is more true
than this of Ptolemy; For although the Phœnomena of Celestial
Bodys may seem to be generally resolved by this Hypothesis, yet
they are found to be involved with many difficulties, and refer
red to many devices; as namely of Orbes of sundry Forms and
Figures, Epicicles, Equations, Differences, Excentricks, andinnu
merable such like fancies and Chymæra's which savour of the
Ens Rationis of Logicians, rather than of any Realem Essentiam.
Of which kinde is that of the Rapid Motion, than which I finde
not any thing that can be more weakly grounded, and more easi
ly controverted and disproved: And such is that conceit of the
^{*} Heaven void of Stars, moving the inferior Heavens or Orbes:

All which are introduced upon occasion of the variety of the
Motions of Celestial Bodyes, which seemed impossible, by any
other way, to be reduced to any certain and determinate Rule.
So that the Assertors of that common Opinion, freely confess,
that in describing the Worlds Systeme, they cannot as yet disco
ver, or teach the true Hypothesis thereof: But that their endea
vours are onely to finde out, amongst many things, what is most
agreeable with truth, and may, upon better and more accomo
date Reasons, answer the Celestial Phœnomena.

Since that, the Telescope (an Optick Invention) hath been found
out, by help of which, many remarkable things in the Heavens,
most worthy to be known, and till then unthought of, were dis
covered by manifest sensation; as for instance, That the Moon is
Mountainous; Venus and Saturn Tricorporeal; and Jupiter
Quadricorporeal: Likewise that in the Via Lactea, in the Ple
iades, and in the Stars called Nobulosœ there are many Stars, and
those of the greatest Magnitude which are by turns adjacent to
one another; and in the end it hath discovered to us, new fixed
Stars, new planets, and new Worlds. And by this same Instru
ment it appears very probable, that Venus and Mercury do not
move properly about the Earth, but rather about the Sun; and
that the Moon alone moveth about the Earth. What therefore
can be inferred from hence, but that the Sun doth stand immo
vable in the Centre, and that the Earth, with the other Celestial
Orbes, is circumvolved about it? Wherefore by this and many
other Reasons it appears, That the Opinion of Pythagor as and
Copernicus doth not disagree with Astronomical and Cosmogra
phical Principles; yea, that it carryeth with it a great likelihood
and probability of Truth: Whereas amongst the so many seve
ral Opinions, that deviate from the common Systeme, and devise