applyed to the Sun, and to the Earth, so vast and famous bodies of the Universe; and it being, moreover, impossible, that one of two contradictory Propositions, should not be true, and the other false; and that for proof of the false one, any thing can be produced but fallacies; but the true one being perswadeable by all kind of concluding and demonstrative arguments, why should you think that he, of you two, who shall be so fortunate as to maintain the true Proposition ought not to perswade me? You must suppose me to be of a stupid wit, perverse judgment, dull mind and intellect, and of a blind reason, that I should not be able to distinguish light from darknesse, jewels from coals, or truth from falshood.
Simpl.I tell you now, and have told you upon other occasions, that the best Master to teach us how to discern Sophismes, Paralogismes, and other fallacies, was Aristotle, who in this particular can never be deceived.
Sagr.You insist upon Aristotle, who cannot speak. Yet I tell you,Aristotle would either refute his adversaries arguments, or would alter his opinion. that if Aristotle were here, he would either yield himself to be perswaded by us, or refuting our arguments, convince us by better of his own. And you your self, when you heard the experiments of the Suns related, did you not acknowledg and admire them, and confesse them more concludent than those of Aristotle? Yet neverthelesse I cannot perceive that Salviatus, who hath produced them, examined them, and with exquisite care scan'd them, doth confesse himself perswaded by them; no nor by others of greater force, which he intimated that he was about to give us an account of. And I know not on what grounds you should censure Nature, as one that for many Ages hath been lazie, and forgetful to produce speculative wits; and that knoweth not how to make more such, unlesse they be such kind of men as slavishly giving up their judgments to Aristotle, do understand with his brain, and resent with his senses. But let us hear the residue of those reasons which favour his opinion, that we may thereupon proceed to speak to them; comparing and weighing them in the ballance of impartiality.
Salv.Before I proceed any farther, I must tell Sagredus, that in these our Disputations, I personate the Copernican, and imitate him, as if I were his Zany; but what hath been effected in my private thoughts by these arguments which I seem to alledg in his favour, I would not have you to judg by what I say, whil'st I am in the heat of acting my part in the Fable; but after I have laid by my disguise, for you may chance to find me different from what you see me upon the Stage. Now let us go on.
Ptolomy and his followers produce another experiment like to that of the Projections,An argument taken from the Clouds, and from Birds. and it is of things that being separatedfrom
