No, L TheUeception of the Copernican Theory in Bngland, 465 
in 1578, contains an appendix by Thomas Digges, entitled 
“ A perfite description of the Celestiall Orbes according to the 
most auncient doctrine of the Pythagoreans, lately revived 
by Copernicus, and by Geometricall Demonstrations ap- 
proved.” This appendix opens with the following powerful 
and well-written passage, which we cannot resist giving at 
full length : — 
Having of late (gentle reader) corrected and reformed 
sondry faultes that by negligence in printing have crept into 
my fathers Generali Prognostication : Amonge other thinges 
I founde a description or modill of the world and situation 
of spheres coelestiall and elementare according to the doctrine 
of Ptolome, whereunto all Universities (ledde therto chiefly 
by the auctority of Aristotle) sithens have consented. But in 
this our age one rare witte (seeing the continuall errors that 
from time to time more and more have bin discovered, be- 
sides the infinite absurdities in their theorickes, which they 
have bin forced to admit that woulde not confesse any mobi- 
litie in the ball of the earth) hath by long studie, painfull 
practise, and rare invention delivered a new theorick or model 
of the world, shewing that the Earth resteth not in the centre 
of the whole world, but onely in the center of this our mortall 
world or globe ofElementes which environed and enclosed in 
the moones orbe, and together with the whole globe of mor- 
tal itie is caried yearely rounde aboute the Sunne, which like 
a king in the middest of all raigneth and geeveth lawes of 
motion to the rest, sphaerically dispearsing his glorious beames 
of light through al this sacred coelestiall temple. And the earth 
itselfe to be one of the planets having his peculiar and stray- 
inge courses tourning everye 24 houres rounde upon his owne 
center whereby the sunne and great globe of fixed starres 
seeme to sway about and tourne, albeit indeede they remaine 
fixed. So many wayes is the sense of mortall men abused, 
but reason and deepe discourse of witte having opened these 
things to Copernicus, and the same being with demonstra- 
tions mathematical! most apparently by him to the world de- 
livered, I thought it convenient together with the olde theo- 
rick also to publish this, to the ende such noble English minds 
(as delight to reache above the baser sort of men) might not 
be altogether defrauded of so noble a part of philosophy. 
And to the ende it might manifestly appeare that Copernicus 
mente not as some have fondly excused him to deliver these 
grounds of the earthes mobility onely as mathematicall prin- 
ciples, fayned and not as philosophical! truly averred, I have 
also from him delivered both the philosophical! reasons by 
Phil, Mag, S. 3. Vol. 16. No. 105. June 1840. 2 1 
