Chap. 8.] ACCOITIfT OF THE WOELD. 35 



CHAP. 8. (11.) — or THE MAGNITUDE OE THE STAES. 



This kind of reasoning carries the human mind to the 

 heavens, and by contemplating the world as it were from 

 thence, it discloses to us the magnitude of the three greatest 

 bodies in nature \ For the sun could not be entirely con- 

 cealed from the earth, by the intervention of the moon, if the 

 earth were greater than the moon^. And the vast size of 

 the third body, the sun, is manifest from that of the other 

 two, so that it is not necessary to scrutinize its size, by argu- 

 ing from its visible appearance, or from any conjectures of 

 the mind ; it must be immense, because the shadows of rows 

 of trees, extending for any number of miles, are disposed in 

 right lines^, as if the sun were in the middle of space. Also, 

 because, at the equinox, he is vertical to all the inhabitants 

 of the southern districts at the same time"* ; also, because 

 the shadows of all the people who live on this side of the 

 tropic fall, at noon, towards the north, and, at sunrise, point 

 to the west. But this could not be the case imless the sun 

 were much greater than the earth ; nor, unless it much ex- 

 ceeded Mount Ida in breadth, could he be seen when he 

 rises, passing considerably beyond it to the right and to the 

 left, especially, considering that it is separated by so great 

 an intervaP. 



^ Marcus conceives that our author must here mean, not the actual, 

 but the apparent size of these bodies ; Ajasson, ii. 295 ; but I do not per- 

 ceive that the text authorizes this interpretation. 



2 I have given the simple translation of the original as it now stands 

 in the MSS. ; whether these may have been corrupted, or the author 

 reasoned incorrectly, I do not venture to decide. The commentators 

 have, according to their usual custom, proposed various emendations and 

 explanations, for which I may refer to the note of Hardouin in Lemaire, 

 ii. 252, with the judicious remarks of Alexandre, and to those of Marcus 

 in Ajasson, ii. 295-298, who appear to mo to take a correct view of the 

 subject. 



3 Alexandre remarks, "Hinc tamon potius distantia quam magnitude 

 SoUs colligi potest." Lemaire, ii. 252. And the same remark applies 

 to the two next positions of our author. 



■* Alexandre remarks on the argument of our author, perhaps a httle 

 too severely, " Absurde dictum ; nam aliis oritur, ahis occidit, dum aliis 

 est a vertice ; quod vel pueri sentiunt." Lemaire, ii. 253. But we may 

 suppose, that Phny, in tliis passage, only meant to say, that as the sun 

 became vertical to each successive part of the equinoctial district, no 

 shadows were formed in it. 



* The commentators have thought it ne<jessary to discuss the question, 



3)2 



