34 THE WORLD, 



but it really moves in its orbit in tho same direction as Venus, 

 though much slower, -and the phenomena are the same in kind as 

 though the earth was still. The phenomena of Mercury may 

 be explained in the same manner as those of Venus, but as 

 Mercury is never seen at so great a distance from the sun as 

 Venus, its orbit is placed between the orbit of Venus and the sun. 

 The planets Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn being occasionally observed 

 at midnight, or directly opposite to the sun, their orbits are 

 located exterior to that of the earth, and in the order just named, 

 which is according to their relative velocities. 



Such is the simple and beautiful system of the world known as 

 the Copernican system. Long as time will last, the memory of 

 its successful author shall live. His fame as everlasting as the 

 duration of those bright orbs which roll around the sun. Coper- 

 nicus lived in an age far behind himself, and no .doubt refrained 

 fromf publishing his views to the world from fear of ecclesiastical 

 censure, although indeed he ridicules this idea, and dedicates his 

 book to Pope Paul III, and was induced to publish it by the persua- 

 sions of Schuenberg, Cardinal of Capua and Gisas, Bishop of 

 Culm. 



In those days the Bible was not only received as the rule 

 of faith, but as the oracle of nature. To assert the rotation 

 of the earth on its axis, and deny the revolution of the sun around 

 it, was impiety, and direct contradiction to scripture. Joshua 

 commanded the sun to stand still, and therefore the sun must 

 move. So it is said, "The pillars of the earth are the Lord's." 

 And yet no one supposed at that time that the earth was liter- 

 ally sustained on pillars. Sir Isaac Newton himself, would 

 say " The sun rises," " The sun sets," and yet would mean far 

 from asserting that the sun actually moved. The ignorance 

 which repressed the efforts of Copernicus, at a later day crushed 

 the energies of Gallileo, who with his heaven-directed tube main- 

 tained and demonstrated the truth of the Copernican system. 



Referring to the next diagram, it will be seen that upon the 

 supposition that Venus is revolving between the sun and the earth, 

 her disk would assume the phase of our moon. For example 

 when at A he would appear wholly illuminated, her enlightened 



