42 THE NEW SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE 



difference whether the heaven or earth move, and that the Great 

 Architect had not divulged this secret even to the angels". 67 He 

 many have left it a mystery for the purpose of leading man on to 

 wild conjecture in order that He might sit in the heavens and laugh 

 at the "centric and eccentric, cycle and epicycle, orb in orb". 68 

 Man ought rather to wonder and be content than to pry into these 

 deep secrets. But the new philosopher will not be satisfied with 

 this answer; some definite attitude must be taken towards those 

 new ideas concerning the motion of the earth which were then rife 

 in England. The result of this insistence was a skillful evasion. 

 "Admitting motion in the heavens, not that I so affirm, though so 

 it seem to thee who hast thy dwelling here on earth, it imports thee 

 not. Or what if the sun be centre to the world, what if the light 

 sent through the transpicuous air to the terrestrial moon make earth 

 seem like a star, what if the moon be inhabited, 69 what if there be 

 other suns with their attendant moons? 70 Whether thus these 

 things be, or whether not, whether the sun rise on the earth or the 

 earth on the sun, 71 solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid ; leave 

 them to God, Him serve and fear". 72 

 "Be lowly wise, 



Think only what concerns thee, and thy being; 

 Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there 

 Live, in what state, condition, or degree, 

 Contented that thus far hath been revealed 

 Not of earth only, but of highest Heaven. ' ' 73 

 What had been revealed to Adam in direct answer to his in 

 quiry was precisely this, these things may or may not be so. And 

 this attitude seemed wholly satisfactory to Milton; once past this 

 doubtful ground, he went confidently on, as when earlier he had 

 followed implicitly the Mosaic account. There was apparently 

 considerable relief expressed in that final apostrophe to science, 

 when once he had gone by this lion in the way. 



67 Ibid. VIII, 70-85. 



68 Par. Lost, VIII, 115-9. 

 68 Ibid. VIII, 140-5. 



70 Ibid. VIII, 148-52. 



71 Ibid. VIII, 159-62. 

 ^Ibid. VIII, 167-8. 

 T Ibid. VIII, 173-8. 



