THE NEW COSMOLOGY 



bodies. First I found in Cicero that Niceties had be- 

 lieved in the motion of the earth. Afterwards I found 

 in Plutarch, likewise, that some others had held the 

 same opinion. This induced me also to begin to con- 

 sider the movability of the earth, and, although the 

 theory appeared contrary to reason, I did so because I 

 knew that others before me had been allowed to assume 

 rotary movements at will, in order to explain the 

 phenomena of these celestial bodies. I was of the 

 opinion that I, too, might be permitted to see whether, 

 by presupposing motion in the earth, more reliable 

 conclusions than hitherto reached could not be dis- 

 covered for the rotary motions of the spheres. And 

 thus, acting on the hypothesis of the motion which, in 

 the following book, I ascribe to the earth, and by long 

 and continued observations, I have finally discovered 

 that if the motion of the other planets be carried over 

 to the relation of the earth and this is made the basis 

 for the rotation of every star, not only will the phe- 

 nomena of the planets be explained thereby, but also 

 the laws and the size of the stars ; all their spheres and 

 the heavens themselves will appear so harmoniously 

 connected that nothing could be changed in any part of 

 them without confusion in the remaining parts and in 

 the whole universe. I do not doubt that clever and 

 learned men will agree with me if they are willing fully 

 to comprehend and to consider the proofs which I 

 advance in the book before us. In order, however, 

 that both the learned and the unlearned may see that I 

 fear no man's judgment, I wanted to dedicate these, 

 my night labors, to your holiness, rather than to any 

 one else, because you, even in this remote corner of the 



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