THEORY OF THE FIRMAMENT. 9 



or inferior, after their arrival at the tropics, turn themselves, 

 and recommence a course back again, weary of a lesser 

 spiral range, such as they would have to undergo, if they 

 did approach nearer the Poles ; and dreading that loss of 

 motion as destructive of their nature. For howsoever it 

 may be, in the starry firmament, both the stars : near the 

 poles, and those about the equinoctial, preserve their ranks 

 and positions, reduced into order, one by another, with 

 steadfastness and consummate uniformity ; nevertheless the 

 planets seem to be of that mixed nature, that they admit 

 not willingly an ampler circuit, nor bear at all a shorter. 

 Furthermore, these doctrines concerning the heavenly mo 

 tions seem to us somewhat preferable to forced and opposite 

 motions, and of a different polarity of the Zodiac, and an 

 inverted order of velocity, and such like, which in no way 

 agree with the nature of things, though they may in a 

 manner accord with calculations. Neither have eminent 

 astronomers been blind to these matters, but, wrapped up 

 in their craft, and reveries of perfect circles, catching at 

 subtleties and the evil results of a fashionable philosophy, 

 they have disdained to follow nature. Truly, however, is 

 that despotic decretal against nature of wise men more mis 

 chievous, than the very simplicity and utter credulity of 

 the uninformed, when any one, for instance, looks with 

 scorn at truth, because it is manifest. And yet huge is 

 that evil, and most widely extended, that the human intel 

 lect, whenever it finds itself unequal to subjects, has a pre 

 dilection to soar above them. 



But now we must inquire whether that one and sim 

 ple motion in a circle, and in a spiral curve, from east 

 to west, upon certain south and north poles, cease and ter 

 minate with the heavens, or it also be conveyed down to 

 things beneath. For it would not be ingenuous in us to 

 feign here in this nether region such aphorism as they sup 

 pose with respect to the heavens. Wherefore, if in these 

 regions be also found that motion, it will appear that, even 

 in the heavens, it is of like kind, according to a nature 

 common or cosmical, with that we experience. In the first 

 place then it is plainly evident, that it is not confined to the 

 limits of the heavens. But the demonstrations and proofs of 

 this matter we have fully laid down in our anticipation res 

 pecting the flowing and ebbing of the sea ; therefore, to that 

 we refer; and this being supposed and taken for granted, 

 we will proceed to the rest of the heavenly motions. But 



