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(seq. 26)
[Upper left hand corner] 18 [Upper right hand corner] chap 4th
Naturall Phylosophy
after this new planet (ye Earth and its moon) ye next is ma: :rs, yn Jupiter (with four moons lately observed by ye Telescope) yn Saturn with one if not two moons about him) all these are planets or wandering stars changing their place, and none of ym hath any light of his own, but only yt which it recieves from ye sun; the fixed stars none of which stir from their fixed place are about all ye planets, and are all luminous bodies as so many suns in ye firmament; and that they appear not to us so great and bright is only because of their Distance This system proposed by Copernicus was about 5'0 years since confirmed and illustrated by Galileus; approved after by Kepler: Dr. Wilkins; and others. most skillfull in Astronomy: only papists were tender of Declaring their minds in this matter too plainly bec: ye pope (forsooth out of a private peek against Galileus) from Saint Peter's chair condemned ye opinion. this is very observable in ye ingenious Galsendus.
3 The last system proposed was by Tycho: Brahe, a noble Dane who did nothing but restore ye Earth to ye Center of ye univ: :erse, and yn to solve ye Apogees and Perigees (Approaches to, and [?] from ye Earth) he invented Excentricks for ye three upper planets, or rather made ye sun their center; this he lived not fully to Declare: it was followed for a while by some and yn began to grow out of vepute; for Galileus lived a ft :er Tycho, and Discovered by his glasses (which ye other never knew) yt Copernicus was rather in ye right. and farther he shows how it solves other phainomenas of nature especially the ebbing and flowing of ye sea; ye stated winds between ye Tropicks: ye Diurnall rising and setting of ye Heavens which before could never have any probable solution. I shall not further Enlarge on this matter nor insist on all ye arguments alleged to Destroy ye old system of Ptolomy, whose solid orbs must be broken by Mars, his sometimes approach to ye Earth nearer to yn ye sun; nor what Galileus, Dr: Wilkins and others Say to defend ye Copernican Scheme, and how they answer ye Scriptures which are alleged against his motion of ye Earth, as being expressions only suited mens vulgar apprehehensions and suffiicient for ye purpose they intended. what is said may Suffice to shew yt ye old Doctrine of ye Heavens was Imperfect [?]. yt this Latter seems more probable [?] better suited to other things in nature we shall have occasion for to speak of afterword: this recommends it self to our acceptance as ye
(seq. 29)
chap 4th: Naturall Phylosophy 21 These things supposed 3 affections of Heaven in Generall remain to be spoken of, figure, motion, and influence. 1 their figure is round nor an orb or sphere to fix to the stars in but all of the laws of nature and that without being fastned to any sphere. this round figure is most fit for motion, content, and continuity. 1 for motion, round its own axis which every one of these globes are supposed to have; yea, and progressive too as admitting the least impediment. 1 for content of matter, as being most compact, containing the most matter under the least surface (as appears in Geometry) 3 continuity of parts, in that all of them hereby are in the nearest possible approach to their own proper center, and so their unity & adhesion is best secured by the generall attraction naturall unto every kind of Body. {In these round other figures {Do out vie?]} {motion, content, and continuitie.} 2 The motion is uniform and regular, neither do they stray in the free other out of their own course, though they have no: :ne of Aristotle's intelligences to direct them. this Galileus dos ingeniously illustrate by a supposition of each glove of the universe, being at first created at some convenient distance from the place wherein, or the center about which it was aft: :erward continually to move; nor is this a [harh?] or improbable supposal, for if it were perfected in one part of the circle appoin: :ted for its motion, then it would be at a distance from the whole circle, as from any part there: :of. the thing may be thus expla: :ined by the diagram: as suppose [diagram] be the gloubular body of some planet created in that place (at A) and the circle, D. F. G. H. I. K. L. M. be designed for the circle of its future revolution, wher: :eof C is the center; suppose also that it were ler fall when perfected [diagram in the bottom right corner?]
(seq. 30)
from (A) the place of its creation with command to go to its place of designed residence not rearer nor farther from the center of its revolution the semidiameter of a circle -- (CD) therefore it must needs fall in the pricked line (A) as bodies use to do towards their proper center of gravity. now when it comes to (D) it can no longer proceed in a straight line towards (E) for it would go farther of center (G) yn its allowed by the afovesiad command or Law of nature. Therefore it must begin to turn about (like a pendulum) towards (F) yet it may keep its Due distance: and having aqcuited velocity (to G. to H, to I, K, L, M, k:) and there being no natural imped: :iment, it must continue. the same swiftness without encre: ase or decrease in continual repeated rounds in the citcle for ever unless stopped by a supernatural cause: how large the circle of revolution thall be is accordinf to yt Distance's Lenth which is appointed to the fall besides the center or a lenth of the Line (CD) how Swift its motion shall be in a revolution is accorted to the length of the line (AD). If it must be very S: wift of a line (or the distance of the places of creation & resi dence) must be longer Bec: by a greater Length it will acce lerate into greater Degrees which it hath attained, therebeing Impediment. This is illustrated by the falling of a bullet from on high gor if in the first Second of time it falls one yard in next it will fall 3 yards; in the next : the next 7, the next 9: He still ar gumenting its velocity by the odd num bers as to the turning round about its own axis it may be apprehended by the turning or running of a bowl: this hath (you know) two motions one straight progressive to the end of the gree the other circular about its own axis so is if as in ye former diagram; the Globe (A) be let fall to (D) in a trolling motion, it will contunye to be same trollinf round ye line of its own revolu tion about ye Center (C) it remains only to show how the sun in the center of the universe turns round it self with out any line of revolution about another Center. this is easy to conceive by supposing it created at (B) and in dro pped in a troll and determined directly to the center (C) without any such line of distance as (DG) for in when its