54 History of Nature. [ BOOK II. 



less, when it happeneth in the highest Signs of their Absides. 

 From the evening Rising the Latitude descendeth, for now the 

 Motion less diminisheth, but yet increaseth not before the 

 second Stations : because they are forced to descend by Rea- 

 son of the Sunbeams coming from the other Side ; and the 

 same Force beareth them downward to the Earth, which by 

 the former triangular Aspect raised them aloft toward Hea- 

 ven. Of so much Importance is it whether these Beams 

 come from beneath or above. The same happeneth much 

 more in the Evening Setting. This is an Explanation of 

 the Motions of the superior Planets; but the Theory of the 

 rest is more difficult, and hath by no Man before us been 

 delivered. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



General Rules concerning the Planets. 



FIRST, therefore, let us set down the Cause why Venus 

 never departeth from the Sun more than forty-six Degrees, 

 and Mercury not above twenty-three : and why oftentimes 

 they retire back unto the Sun within that Space. To be 

 resolved in this Point, we must remark, that both of them 

 have their Absides turned opposite to the rest, as being 

 seated under the Sun : and so much of their Circles is under- 

 neath, as the forenamed were above ; and therefore farther 

 off they cannot be, because the Curvature of their Absides 

 in that Place hath no greater Longitude. Therefore both 

 Margins of their Absides, by a like Proportion, keep Mean, 

 and their Course is limited : but the short Spaces of their 

 Longitudes they compensate by the wandering of their Lati- 

 tudes. But what is the Reason that they reach not always 

 to forty-six Degrees, and to twenty-three? They do so truly: 

 but here the Explanation fails. For it is apparent, that their 

 Absides also move, because they never overpass the Sun. 

 And therefore when their Margins from either Side are per- 

 ceived to fall upon the very Point, then the Planets also are 

 understood to reach unto their longest Distances : but when 

 their Margins be short so many Degrees, the Stars them- 

 selves are thought to return more speedily in their Retro- 



