ON THE EQUINOXES. 227 



tion or trepidation, before this notion was adopted by any other aftro* 

 noiner whole labours are known to us. 



It appears alfo from a pafTage of Brakmegupta's refutation of the 

 fuppofed errors of that author, and from his commentator's quotation 

 of A'ryabhat? a V text, that this ancient aftronomer maintained the 

 dodtrine of the earth's diurnal revolution round its axis. " The fphere 

 of the liars/* he affirms, " is ftationary ; and the earth, making are- 

 volution, produces the daily- Fifing and fetting of ftars and planets.* 

 Brahm^cupta anfwers "'If the earth move a minute in a prdn'a 9 

 then whence and what route does^it proceed? If it revolve, why do 

 not lofty objects fall?" -f* But his commentator Pr it'irj-DACA- Swami', 

 replies^, *' A'ryabh -at t'aV- opinion appears neverthelefs fatisfactory, 

 fmcQ pknets .cannot- -ha,ve-t^«©--i33.otioHs a-t once ;,„and the objection, that 

 lofty things ,would;falli is^ contradided-i .for, every way, the under 

 part of the earth i&alfo the upper -j fines, wherever the fpectator (lands 

 on the earth's furface^ even that fpot is the upperraoft point," 



We here- find .both > an -ancient * aRrcMomer ^and a -later com* 

 snentatopt; maintaining,- , againit* the. fenfe. of their countrymen, 

 the rational doctrine which Her aclides of Pontics, the Pythagorean 

 Ecphantus, and a few others among the Greeks, had affirmed of old, 

 but which was abandoned .by the aftr-onomers. both of the eafl and of 



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A'kt abhat t'a cited by Pri t'hu'd AC A. 



Brahme-fyhita Jidd'b&nta. ■ 



+ The commentator wrote at leaft f;veo ceutuiiei ag > ; for he i» quoted by Bh a'sc ar. a in the text 



is nd doIci oi ;Ue S'iiojuanu 



■ 



