ASTRONOMICAL HISTORY. 171 



also this is an apt question : whether the deflection of the 

 lower planet does not cut the orbit of the higher planet, and 

 enter within its periphery ? 



There remains our last question concerning the colloca 

 tion of parts in the system, that is, whether there be several 

 and different centres in the system, and several choral 

 bands, so to speak, moving around them ; especially since 

 the earth is affirmed to be the centre of primary motion ; 

 since the sun (in the opinion of Tycho) is the centre of secon 

 dary motion; and even Jupiter is made, by Galileo, the 

 centre of the inferior and lately discovered motion of certain 

 satellites. 



These then are the questions which it seems fitting to 

 propose with respect to the celestial system : namely, whe 

 ther there is a system, and what is its depth, what its con 

 nexion, and what is the order of distributing its parts. 

 As to the outermost parts of heaven, and what has been 

 termed the empyrean heaven, we enter into no theories or 

 inquiries. Therefore what can be known of it can be 

 learned only from inference, not at all by induction. For 

 such inquisition, therefore, there will both be a fitting time, 

 and a specific plan and mode. 



As respects the heaven of heavens and pure space, we 

 are bound entirely to stand by, and submit to, revelation. 

 For as to what has been said by the Platonic school, and 

 lately by Patricius, (in order, forsooth, to exalt themselves 

 to a diviner height in philosophy), and said not without 

 gross and visionary extravagance, the ravings, as it were, 

 of a disordered mind ; in short, advanced with extreme 

 audacity and no result, like the acones and other dreams 

 of Valentine, these we regard as mere figments. For we 

 are not tamely to submit to the apotheosis of folly, like that 

 of the Emperor Claudius. It is worse than all other evils 

 the very pestilence and death of intellect to attach re 

 verence to its chimeras. 



