VOID PLACES IN THE HEAVENS. 7 



the Celestiall bodies be corruptible, it agreeth not with the LlB - T - 



psalm e, {f That God made them for euer&quot;: And it is lesse 

 conformable to the order and preservation of this vniversall 

 world. I say moreover, to confirme this truth, that the 

 heauens move, and in them the starres march in turning, 

 the which we cannot easily discerne with our eyes, seeing 

 we see that not onely the starres do moue, but also the re 

 gions and whole parts of heaven ; I speake not onely of the 

 shining and most resplendent parts, as of that which we 

 call Via lactea, and the vulgar S. laques way, but also of the 

 darker and obscurer parts of heaven. For there we see 

 really as it were spots and darkenes, which are most appa 

 rent : the which I remember not to haue seene at any 

 time in Europe, but at Peru, and in this other Hemis 

 phere I haue often seene them very apparant. These 

 spots are in colour and forme like vnto the Eclips 

 of the Moone, and are like vnto it in blacknes arid 

 darkenes ; they march, fixed to the same starres, alwaies of 

 one forme and bignes, as we haue noted by infallible ob 

 servation. It may be this will seenie strange to some, and 

 they will demand whence these spots in heaven should 

 grow. To the which I cannot answere otherwise at this 

 time, but (as the Philosophers do affirme) that this Via 

 lactea, or milken way, is compounded of the thickest parts 

 of the heaven, and for this cause it receiues the greater 

 light ; and contrariwise, there are other parts very thinne 

 and transparent, the which receiuing lesse light seeme more 

 blacke and obscure. Whether this be the true reason or no 

 I dare not certenly affirme. Yet is it true that, according 

 to the figure these spots have in heaven, they moue with 

 the same proportion with their starres without any separa 

 tion, the which is a true, certaine, and often noted expe 

 rience. It followeth then by all that we haue said, that the 

 heaven containeth in it all the parts of the earth, circling 

 continually about it, without any more doubt. 



