No. I. TJie Reception of the Copernican Theory in England. 463 



And his work is not a solitary specimen. In this state of po- 

 pular ignorance it speaks volumes for the genius of Britain to 

 be able to prove, that at least as early as the year 1556, our 

 country rejoiced in three minds perfectly convinced of the 

 truth of the new system and able to appreciate its value. 



To Professor De Morgan we are indebted for having dis- 

 covered in the Castle of Knowledge (fol. Lond. 1556) by Ro- 

 bert Recorde, a passage showing that the author was in heart 

 a Copernican*; its extreme curiosity will well permit a repe- 

 tition in modern orthography : — 



" Master. But as for the stability of the earth, I need not 

 waste any time in proving it, because that opinion is so firmly 

 fixed in most men's heads, that they think it mere madness 

 to bring the question in doubt. And therefore it is as much 

 folly to labour to prove that which no man denieth, as it 

 were with great study to dissuade that thing which no man 

 covets nor any man grants ; or to blame that which no man 

 praises nor any man likes. 



^^ Scholar. Yet some time it chances, that the opinion most 

 generally received is not most true. 



" Master. And so do some men judge of this matter ; for 

 not only Eraclides Ponticus, a great philosopher, and two 

 great scholars of the school of Pythagoras, Philolaus and 

 Ecphantus, were of the contrary opinion, but also Nicias 

 Syracusius and Aristarchus Samius seem with strong argu- 

 ments to approve it; but the reasons are too difficult for this 

 first introduction, and therefore I will omit them till another 

 time. And so will I do the reasons that Ptolemy, Theon, 

 and others do allege, to prove the earth to be without mo- 

 tion ; and the rather because those reasons do not proceed 

 so demonstrably, but they may be answered fully of him that 

 holdeth the contrary. I mean, concerning circular motion : 

 any direct motion out of the centre of the world seemeth 

 more easy to be confuted, and that by the same reasons M'hich 

 were before alleged for proving the earth to be in the mid- 

 dle and centre of the world. 



" Scholar. I perceive it well : for as if the earth were al- 

 ways out of the centre of the world, those former absurdities 

 would at all times appear: so that if at any time the earth 

 should move out of its place, those inconveniences would then 

 appear. 



" Master. That is truly to be gathered : howbeit Coper- 

 nicus, a man of great learning, of much experience, and of 

 wonderful diligence in observation, has renewed the opinion 



* Companion to the British Almanac for 1837. 



