HOW THE EARTH WAS REGARDED. 



54-5 



logical considerations : thus, everything which performs any act has 

 been made for the purpose of that act. Now, the work of God is im- 

 mortality, from which it follows that all that is divine must have an 

 eternal motion. The heavens have a divine quality, and for this rea- 

 son they have a spherical shape and move eternally in a circle. Now, 



Fig. 5. Anaximandeb's Cylindbical Earth. 



when a body has a circular motion, one part of it must remain at rest 

 in the centre ; the earth is in the centre, and therefore motionless. 



Aristotle, however, entertained many sensible views regarding the 

 earth which were of course greatly " in advance of his times," and, 

 among others, that the earth was spherical, for which he offered rea- 



Fig. 6. Plato's Cubical Eabth. 



sons that are valid now. But how it could remain suspended in one 

 place without any foundation to rest upon, puzzled him. 



Among the various causes which in the absence of facts deter- 

 mined men's geographical opinions, one was the patriotic sentiment 

 by which ignorant people were led to magnify their native country. 

 According to the prepossessions of race, each one thought his own 

 country to be located at the centre of the earth. Thus the Hin- 

 doos, who lived near the equator, and the Scandinavians, who lived 

 nearer the pole, apply each a term to their own country which means 



VOL. x. 35 



