16
THE ELEPHANT
Look'd wise, then said—All this is true,
And learnedly observ'd by you:
295 But there's another Reason for't,
That falls but very little short
Of mathematick Demonstration,
Upon an accurate Calculation,
And that is—As the Earth and Moon
300 Do both move contrary upon
Their Axes, the Rapidity
Of both their Motions cannot be,
But so prodigiously fast,
That vaster Spaces may be past,
305 In less Time than the Beast has gone,
Though h' had no Motion of his own;
Which we can take no Measure of,
As you have clear'd by learned Proof.
This granted, we may boldly thence
310 Lay claim to a nobler Inference;
And make this great Phænomenon
(Were there no other) serve alone,
To clear the grand Hypothesis
Of th' Motion of the Earth from this.[1]
315 :With this they all were satisfy'd,
As Men are won't o' th' bias'd side,
And learnedly observ'd by you:
295 But there's another Reason for't,
That falls but very little short
Of mathematick Demonstration,
Upon an accurate Calculation,
And that is—As the Earth and Moon
300 Do both move contrary upon
Their Axes, the Rapidity
Of both their Motions cannot be,
But so prodigiously fast,
That vaster Spaces may be past,
305 In less Time than the Beast has gone,
Though h' had no Motion of his own;
Which we can take no Measure of,
As you have clear'd by learned Proof.
This granted, we may boldly thence
310 Lay claim to a nobler Inference;
And make this great Phænomenon
(Were there no other) serve alone,
To clear the grand Hypothesis
Of th' Motion of the Earth from this.[1]
315 :With this they all were satisfy'd,
As Men are won't o' th' bias'd side,
- ↑ To clear the grand Hypothesis———Of th' Motion of the Earth from this.] The Copernican System of the Earth's Motion was not at this Time generally received; and our Poet seems in most Places wherein be mentions it, to sneer it as a philosophic
Whim.
