toward E have a contrary motion to what they have when they come to F and ascend toward G. So the parts twixt GD as they go on toward E move contrary to the motion they are moved betwixt E F going on toward G. But the parts about D move one way with the annuall motion so that the swiftnesse of the motion of those parts of the earth is increased the annuall and diurnall motion going in one and tending Eastward But the parts about F go Westward toward G so that much of the annuall swiftnesse is taken of by the diurnall motion in these parts they going a contrary way to the annuall The parts about E and G go not either Westward or Eastward but are inconsiderable in the annuall motion Now saith Galilaeus the sea being in his channell as water in a movable vessell the acceleration or retardation of the motion of the Earth will make the sea fluctuate or swill like water in a shaken vessel which must needs come to passe twice in every foure and twenty houres because of the great swiftnesse at D and extraordinary slownesse at F. What the cause is of the dayly flux and reflux of the sea according to Galilaeos mind is now conspicuous viz. The addition or subduction of the Earths diurnall motion from the annuall which according to that Authours compute is thrice swifter then the diurnall Now as the dayly Flux and Reflux consists in this addition and subduction so the monethly and yearly changes and variations of this Flux and Reflux consist in the variation or change of proportion in those additions and subductions they bearing sometime lesse sometime greater proportion to the annuall motion Finally this variation of proportions ariseth either from a new swiftnesse or slownesse in the annuall motion of the Earth or else from the various position of the Axis thereof it sometimes conspiring more fully with the annuall motion then other sometimes Whenc it comes to passe that the compound motion is not alwayes of the same swiftnesse or slownesse But we shall better understand this by applying our selves to a figure And first of the monethly variation at full and new Moon But here I must professe it seems to me very hard how the swiftnesse of the Moon in B or her slownesse in the Ark H D G should engage the Earth in C in the like slownesse and swiftnesse there being no such solid and stiff continuation from A to D as there is in a balance of a clock Again supposing this conceit to hold good How will it answer to the history of the Flux and Reflux of the sea Which is increased much as well when the Moon is in B as when she is in D. That the Flux should be greater the Moon being in D is reasonable because C being then much retarded in the annuall motion the subduction and addition of the diurnall will bear a greater proportion to the annuall and so consequently cause a greater alteration in the Flux and Reflux But when as the Moon being in B makes the annuall motion of C swifter the subduction and addition of the diurnall will bear a lesse proportion to the annuall and so the Flux and Reflux shall be rather diminished then increased which is against experience and the history of the Flux and Reflux of the sea But now in the third place to find out the reason why at certain points of the years period the Flux and Reflux should be increased We must observe that this is according to the severall positions of the Axis of the Earth not but that it is alwayes parallel to it self but in reference to the Ecliptick For such is its position in the Solstitiall points that there the diurnall motion added or subducted bears a greater proportion to the annuall then elsewhere In the Equinoctiall points a lesse As will appear in the following scheme Let ADCB be the Ecliptick Let the circles GCFE cut ADCB to right angles Let the annuall motion of the Earth be from C to B from B to A c. the diurnall CAEC and CBEC The Earth at A in her Solstitiall point at B in her Equinoctiall It is plain at first sight that CAEC complies much more with the motion BAD then CBE doth with CBA It is not worth more curious proposall and proof since the truth thereof is so farre from giving a reason of the yearly alteration in the Flux and Reflux that it is quite repugnant with the history thereof For according to this device of Galilaeo the greatest Flux and Reflux should be in the solstices But according to the observation of Writers it is in the Aequinoxes But however it was a witty attempt of Galilaeo though not altogether so solid Mounsieur Des Chartes in my judgement is far more successefull in his Hypothesis who renders the causes of all these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner following For your more fully understanding of what I am now about to premise I must refer to you Des Chartes his Principia Philosophiae Mean while peruse this present Scheme Where CDBE is that great Vortex in which and by which the Planets are carried from West to East according to the order of CDBE Let A be the Sun the Centre of this great Vortex about which all the liquid matter of our Heaven is carried about as grosse water in a whirlepooll and with it the Planets like corks or strawes Let F be the Planet we are in viz. the Earth which is the Centre of a lesser Vortex HDGI Let M be the Moon carried about the earths Vortex in her monethly course This Vortex of the earth is not perfect sphericall but cometh nearer the figure of an Ellipsis Because as Chartesius giveth you to understand that part of the Vortex which is the Circuit KL is more like the matter of the Vortex HDGI then that matter which is above or below at D and I and therefore DHIG giveth out more easily and naturally toward K and L. Perhaps this reason may be added That all the parts of the Vortex CDBE endeavouring through their circular Motion to recede from their Centre A and thereby to widen one from another I mean the parts of any one Circle suppose KL and yet all the Circles urging one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from A to CDBE they will easily give place in their Circles as in KL and the rest but rather presse close in the Diametre as in DI. So that the Diametre of the Vortex of the Earth DI shall be lesser then its Diametre GH In so much that when the Moon M is in D or I she will straiten the stream of the Vâ—â—tex a great deal more then when she is in G or H which will make it run more swiftly and bear down the Air and Water of the Sea more strongly But now that we may come more nearly to our businesse in hand and apply our selves wholly to the Earths Vortex in which the mystery
nations shall inherit For ever their Ancestours Idolatry An Indian ever shall an Indian be A Turk a Turk To this Corvin anon I give not this infallibility To every Church but onely to our own Full witnesse to her self of all the truths she 'll own 86 Gr. That then is truth what she will say is true But not unlesse her the true Church thou hold How knowst thou then her such good Corvin shew Friend Graculo in talk we be too bold Let 's go I fear my self and horse take cold But t' answer to that question 'fore we go The Church is true as she her self me told A goodly answer said Don Graculo You dispute in a Circle as all Logicians know 87 Here Psittaco could not but inly smile To see how Graculo Corvin did orecrow And fair replying with demeanance mild The truth said he the Scriptures onely show Streight nimble Graculus But who can know The sense of Scripture without reason sound The Scripture is both key and treasure too It opes it self so said that Clerk profound This place with that compar'd This is the strongest ground 88 Gr But what with judgement doth them both compare Is' t reason or unreasonablenesse I pray To which grave Psittacus you so subtill are I list not with such cunning wits to play Here I stept in and thus began to say Right worthy Clerks for so you be I ween Your queint discourse your breedings doth bewray Long time you have at learned Athens been And all the dainty tricks of Art and Science seen 89 If me a stranger wight it may be beseem But homely bred as yet unripe in years Who conscious of his weaknesses doth deem Himself unfit to speak among his peers Much more unfit for your judicious ears Whom Age and Arts do equally adorn And solemne habit no small semblance bears Of highest knowledge might I be but born A word or two to speak now would I take my turn 90 Say on said Psittaco There 's a third said I Nor reason nor unreasonablenesse hight Here Graccus The disjunction you deny Then I There is a third ycleep'd Gods spright Nor reason nor unreasonablenesse hight Corvino straight foam'd like his champing jade And said I was a very silly wight And how through melancholy I was mad And unto private spirits all holy truth betray'd 91 But I nould with like fury him invade But mildly as I mought made this reply Gods Spirit is no private empty shade But that great Ghost that fills both earth and sky And through the boundlesse Universe dothly Shining through purged hearts and simple minds When doubling clouds of thick hypocrisie Be blown away with strongly brushing winds Who first this tempest feels the Sun he after finds 92 Thus wise and godly men I hear to teach And know no hurt this doctrine to believe Certes it much occasion doth reach To leave the world and holily to live All due observance to Gods laws to give With care and diligence to maken pure Those vessels that this heavenly dew receive But most in point of faith sleep too secure And want this bait their souls to goodnesse to allure 93 For they believen as the Church believes Never expecting any other light And hence it is each one so loosely lives Hopelesse of help from that internall spright Enough said Graculo Corvino's right Let 's hear dispute in figure and in mood And stifly with smart syllogismes fight That what thou wouldst may wel be understood But now thou rovest out and rav'st as thou wert wood 94 Reason I say all Scripture sense must judge Do thou one reason ' gainst this truth produce Reason said I in humane things may drudge But in divine thy soul it may seduce Gr. Prove that Mn. I prove it thus For reasons use Back'd with advantage of all sciences Of Arts of tongues cannot such light transfuse But that most learned men do think amisse In highest points divided as well you know I wisse 95 Here Graculo learing up with one eye View'd the broad Heavens long resting in a pause And all the while he held his neck awry Like listning daw turning his nimble nose At last these words his silent tongue did loose What is this spirit say what 's this spirit man Who has it answer'd I he onely knows 'T is the hid Manna and the graven stone He canteth said Corvine come Grac let 's be gone 96 But Grac stayd still this question to move Doth not said he reason to us descry What things soever reasonable prove Not so For the whole world that ope doth lie Unto our sight not reason but our eye Discovers first but upon that fair view Our reason takes occasion to trie Her proper skill and curiously pursue The Art and sweet contrivance Heaven and Earth do shew 97 There 's no man colour smels or sees a sound Nor sucks the labour of the hâ—â—y-bee With 's hungry lugs nor binds a gaping wound With 's slippery ey-balls Every feculty And object have their due Analogy Nor can reach further than it 's proper sphear Who divine sense by reason would descry Unto the Sun-shine listons with his ear So plain this truth to me Don Graco doth appear 98 How then said Graco is the spirit known If not by reason To this I replyde Onely the spirit can the spirit own But this said he is back again to slide And in an idle Circle round to ride Why so said I Is not light seen by light Streight Graculo did skilfully divide All knowledge into sense and reason right Be 't so said I Don Graco what 's this reasons might 99 If then said he the spirit may not be Right reason surely we must deem it sense Yes sense it is this was my short reply Sense upon which holy Intelligence And heavenly Reason and comely Prudence O beauteous branches of that root divine Do springen up through inly experience Of Gods hid wayes as he doth ope the ey'n Of our dark souls and in our hearts his light enshrine 100 Here Graculus did seem exceeding glad On any terms to hear but reason nam'd And with great joy and jollity he bad A dew to me as if that he had gain'd The victory Besides Corvino blam'd His too long stay Wherefore he forward goes Now more confirm'd his Nutshell-cap contain'd What ever any living mortall knows Ne longer would he stay this sweet conceit to loose 101 Thus Psittaco and I alone were left In sober silence holding on our way His musing skull poor man was well nigh cleft By strong distracting thoughts drove either way Whom pittying I thus began to say Dear Psittaco what anxious thoughts oppresse Thy carefull heart and musing mind dismay I am perplexed much I must confesse Said he and thou art authour of my heavinesse 102 My self Corvino's Church-Autority No certain ground of holy truth do deem And Scripture the next ground alledg'd by me By Graco was confuted well I ween But thou as
stream be alwayes homogeneall 32 But the high heaven-born soul sprung out from Jove Ever is clashing with the foolery Of this dull body which the sense doth love And erring phansie It were long to try In every thing O how 't would magnifie The hight of pleasures that fall under sense This well describ'd would prove its Deity A vast round body cloth'd with th' excellence Of glorious glistring light through the wide aire extense 33 Bravely adorn'd with diverse colours gay Even infinite varieties that shine With wondrous brightnesse varnish'd with the ray Of that clear light with motion circuline Let turn about and stir up sounds divine That sweetly may affect th' attentive ear Adde fragrant odours waft with gentle wind Adde pleasant taste soft touch to Venus dear This is the bodies God this is its highest sphear 34 But from far higher place and brighter light Our reason checks us for this vanity Calls to us warns us that that empty sight Lead not our soul unto Idolatry Make us not rest in easie falsity If thou be stirred up by working fire To search out god to find the Deity Take to thy self not what thine eyes admire Or any outward sense or what sense can desire 35 Behold a light far brighter then the Sun The Sun 's a shadow if you them compare Or grosse Cimmerian mist the fairest Noon Exceeds not the meridian night so far As that light doth the Sun So perfect clear So perfect pure it is that outward eye Cannot behold this inward subtile starre But indisperst is this bright Majesty Yet every where out shining in infinitie 36 Unplac'd unparted one close Unity Yet omnipresent all things yet but one Not streâ—k'd with gaudy multiplicity Pure light without discolouration Stable without circumvolution Eternall rest joy without passing sound What sound is made without collision Smell taste and touch make God a grosse compound Yet truth of all that 's good is perfectly here found 37 This is a riddle unto outward sense And heavie phansie that can rise no higher Then outward senses knows no excellence But what those Five do faithfully inspire From their great God this world nor do desire More then they know wherefore to consopite Or quench this false light of bold phansies fire Surely must be an act contrary quite Unto this bodies life and its low groveling spright 38 Wherefore the body 's not Originall Of humane soul when she doth thus resist That principle which still more clearly shall Be proved Oft when either drowsie mists Provoke to sleep or worst of senses lists To ease his swelling veins or stomach craves His wonted food that he too long hath mist Or our dry lungs cool liquor fain would have Or when in warre our heart suggests the fear of grave 39 Yet high desire of truth and deep insight Into Gods mystery makes us command These low attractions and our countries right Bids march on bravely stout and stifly stand In bloudy fight and try 't by strength of hand Thus truth and honesty so sway our will That we no longer doubt to break the band Of lower Nature and this body kill Or vex so we the Laws of reason may fulfill 40 This proves the soul to sit at liberty Not wedg'd into this masse of earth but free Unloos'd from any strong necessity To do the bodies dictates while we see Clear reason shining in serenity Calling above unto us pointing to What 's right and decent what doth best agree With those sweet lovely Ideas that do show Some glimps of their pure light So Sol through clouds doth flow 41 How oft do we neglect this bodies life And outward comely plight for to adorn Our soul with virtuous ornaments and strive To fat our mind with truth while it 's forlorn Squalid half-nasty pallid wan deform Can this desire from the base body spring No sure such brave atchievements be yborn Within the soul tend to her perfecting See th' independent mind in her self circuling 42 Best plight of body hinders such like acts How doth she then upon the body pend To do those subtle high pure heavenly facts What doth the Sun his rayes that he out-sends Smother or choke though clouds that upward wend May raised be by him yet of those clouds That he doth congregate he no'te depend Nor doth the soul that in this flesh doth croud Her self rely on that thick vapour where she 's shroud 43 But still to prove it clearer If the mind Without the bodyes help can operate Of her own self then nothing can we find To scruple at but that souls separate Safely exist not subject unto fate Nothing depending on their carcases That they should fade when those be ruinate But first perpend well both their properties That we may better see their independencies 44 The living body where the soul doth ' bide These functions hath phansie sense memory How into sense these outward forms do glide I have already told and did descry How presentifick circularity Is spread through all there is one Mundane spright And body vitall corporality We have from hence Our souls be coâ—unite With the worlds spright and body with these herself she has dight 45 Our body struck by evolution Of outward forms spread in the worlds vast spright Our listning mind by its adversion Doth notice take but nothing is empight In it Of old Gods hand did all forms write In humane souls which waken at the knock Of Mundane shapes If they were naked quite Of innate forms though heaven and earth should rock With roring winds they 'd hear no more then senselesse stock 46 Phansy's th' impression of those forms that flit In this low life They oft continue long When as our spright more potently is hit By their incursions and appulses strong Like heated water though a while but hung On fiercer fire an hot impression Long time retains so forms more stoutly flung Against our spright make deep insculption Long time it is till their clear abolition 47 Hence springeth that which men call memory When outward object doth characterize Our inward common spright or when that we From our own soul stir up clear phantasies Which be our own elicited Idees Springing from our own centrall life by might Of our strong Fiat as oft as we please With these we seal that under grosser spright Make that our note-book there our choifest notions write 48 But sith it is not any part of us But longeth unto the great world it must Be chang'd for course of Time voraginous With rapid force is violently just Makes each thing pay with what it was in trust The common life sucks back the common spright The body backward falls into the dust It doth it by degrees Hence phancie sight And memory in age do not their functions right 49 Often disease or some hard casualtie Doth hurt this spirit that a man doth lose The use of sense wit phansie memory That hence rash men our souls mortall suppose Through
spittle tumbling with their tongue On their raw lether lips these near will to her clung 44 And lovingly salute against her will Closely embrace and make her mad with wo She 'd lever thousand times they did her kill Then force her such vile basenesse undergo Anon some Giant his huge self will show Gaping with mouth as vast as any Cave With stony staring eyes and footing slow She surely deems him her live-walking grave From that dern hollow pit knows not her self to save 45 After a while tost on the Ocean main A boundlesse sea she finds of misery The fiery snorts of the Leviathan That makes the boyling waves before him flie She hears she sees his blazing morn-bright eye If here she scape deep gulfs and threatning rocks Her frighted self do straightway terrifie Steel-coloured clouds with rattling thunder knocks With these she is amaz'd and thousand such like mocks 46 All which afflict her even like perfect sense For waxen mad with her sore searching pain She cannot easly find the difference But toils and tears and tugs but all in vain Her self from her own self she cannot strain Nocturnall life hath now let ope th' Idee Of innate darknesse from this fulsome vein The soul is fill'd with all deformity But Night doth stirre her up to this dread energie 47 But here some man more curious then wise Perhaps will ask where Night or Hell may be For he by his own self cannot devise Sith chearfull light doth fill the open sky And what 's the earth to the souls subtilty Such men I 'd carry to some standing pool Down to the water bid them bend their eye They then shall see the earth possest and full Of heaven dight with the sunne or starrs that there do roll 48 Or to an hill where 's some deep hollow Cave Dreadfull for darknesse let them take a glasse When to the pitchy hole they turned have Their instrument that darknesse will find place Even in the open sunne-beams at a space Which measures twice the glasses distancy From the Caves mouth This well discovered has How Hell and Heaven may both together lie Sith darknesse safely raies even in the sunny skie 49 But further yet the mind to satisfie That various apprehensions bearen down And to hold up with like variety Of well fram'd phantasms lest she sink and drown Laden with heavie thoughts sprong from the ground And miry clods of this accursed earth Whose dull suffusions make her often sown Orecome with cold till nimble Reason bear'th Unto her timely aid and on her feet her rear'th 50 I will adjoyn to those three former wayes To weet of the Souls self-activity Of Union with Hell and Gods high rayes A fourth contrivement which all souls doth ty To their wing'd Chariots wherein swift they fly The fiery and airy Vehicles they hight In Plato's school known universally But so large matter can not well be writ In a few lines for a fresh Canticle more fit The Preface to the Reader ALthough the opinion of the Praeexistency of the Soul be made so probable and passable in the Canto it self that none can sleight and contemn it that do not ordinarily approve themselves men by Derision more then by Reason yet so heavie prejudice lying upon us both from Naturall diffidence in so high Points and from our common Education I thought it fit for seeuring my self from suspicion of overmuch lightnesse to premize thus much That that which I have taken the pains and boldnesse to present to the free judgement of others hath been already judged of old very sound and orthodox by the wisest and most learned of preceding Ages Which R. Menasseh Ben-Israel doth abundantly attest in his 15. Problem De Creatione Avouching that it is the common Opinion of all the Hebrews and that it was never called into controversie but approved of by the common consent and suffrage of all wise men And himself doth by severall places out of the Old Testament as pat for his purpose I think as any can be brought against it endeavour to make it good but might I confesse have been more fitly furnished could his Religion have reached into the New For Philip. 2. v. 6 7 8. John 9. v. 1 2 3. John 17. v. 45. Mark 8. v. 27 28. all those places do seem so naturally to favour this Probability that if it had pleas'd the Church to have concluded it for a standing Truth He that would not have been fully convinc'd upon the evidence of these passages of Scripture would undoubtedly have been held a man of a very timorous Scepticall constitution if not something worse Nor is the feeblenesse and miserable ineptnesse of Infancy any greater damp to the belief of this Preexistency then the dotage and debility of old Age to the hope of the Souls future subsistency after death Nor if we would fetch an argument from Theologie is Gods Justice and the divine Nemesis lesse set out by supposing that the Souls of men thorough their own revolting from God before they came into the body have thus in severall measures engaged themselves in the sad dangerous and almost fatall entanglements of this Corporeall World then it is by conceiving that they must needs survive the Body that the judgement of the Almighty may passe upon them for what they have committed in the flesh Nor lastly is it harder to phansie how these Praeexistent Souls insinuate into seed Embryos or Infants then how Created ones are insinuated nor yet so hard to determine of their condition if they depart in Infancy as of the condition of these But mistake me not Reader I do not contend in thus arguing that this opinion of the Praeexistency of the Soul is true but that it is not such a self-condemned Falsity but that I might without justly incurring the censure of any Vainnesse or Levity deem it worthy the canvase and discussion of sober and considerate men Yours H.M. The Praeexistency of the SOUL The Argument Of the Souls Praeexistency Her Orb of Fire and Aire Of Ghosts of Goblins of Sorcery This Canto doth declare 1 RIse then Aristo's son assist my Muse Let that hie spright which did inrich thy brains With choice cōceits some worthy thoughts infuse Worthy thy title and the Readers pains And thou O Lycian Sage whose pen contains Treasures of heavenly light with gentle fire Give leave a while to warm me at thy flames That I may also kindle sweet desire In holy minds that unto highest things aspire 2 For I would sing the Praeexistency Of humane souls and live once ore again By recollection and quick memory All what is past since first we all began But all too shallow be my wits to scan So deep a point and mind too dull to clear So dark a matter but Thou O more then man Aread thou sacred Soul of Plotin deare Tell what we mortalls are tell what of old we were 3 A spark or ray of the Divinity Clouded in earthy
Nearer the Earth the slower it must go These Arks be lesse but in the Heaven blew Those Arks increase it must not be so slow Thus must it needs return unto its idle Bow Where let B be the earth A the East Let an arrow fly in the line BC. let DE be severall hights of the air Let the arrow K keep in BC the same line of the air or earthly magnetick spirit So that BF BG BH c. are not new lines of the air but of immovable imaginary space which spaces let be aequall one with another Now let the arrow K moving upward or downard in BC make also toward the East A in a circular motion I say then it goes faster in E then in D. For the ark DA is divided into parts of the same proportion to the whole D A that the parts of EA to the whole EA Now EA is far greater then DA and therefore must the parts of EA be far greater then the parts of DA. And yet in the same time doth the arrow K passe thorough the portion of EA that it doth of DA. otherwise it would not keep in the line BC which is contrary to our hypothesis and indeed to ordinary experience For our eye finds the arrow come down in the same line it went up Therefore it must needs go faster in EA then DA. But this may seem strange and uncouth that the arrow should thus moderate it self in its motion and proportion its swiftnesse to the ark it is in But I conceive it is no more wonderfull then that water should figure it self according to the variety of its situations in hight and depth STANZ 39. Nor ought we wonder that it doth conform Its motion to the circles of the air Sith water in a wooden bucket born Doth fit it self unto each Periphere c. The truth and sense of this stanza will appear thus Water is a heavie body and therefore will get so near the centre as it can That all the parts may get as near as they can they must of necessity cast themselves into a sphaericall figure For any other figure though it may happily let some parts nearer then they be in a sphear yet it necessarily bears others further off from the Centre then the furthest would be were they all cast into a sphericall as plainly appears in the following Scheme Where let DA be a proportion of water casting it self into a rectilinear figure FG the same proportion casting it self into a sphaericall 'T is plain that though DA be nearer the Centre at the point C and thereabout then FG at B or any where else yet the highest point in the furface of FG is not so high or so far remov'd from the centre I as any betwixt DK or HA wherefore all the particles of the proportion of water DA are not brought to the nearest position to the centre I till they conform with the circle CLM. which we suppose the same proportion of water FG to have done wherefore the lubricous particles of the water DA will never cease tumbling as being plac'd in an undue hight till the surface thereof be concentricall with I. This being premised let E be a vessel of water in severall situations of hight The first and highest situation of this vessel let be BAB which is plainly the biggest circle Let CBC be the next a lesse circle then BAB The tumour at B is bigger then then at A. let BCB be the third lesser then any of the former the tumour at C is then highest of all and so on still There will ever be a new conformation of the surface of the water according to the distance from the Centre of the earth as is plain from the praemized Theorem STANZ 4â— venus Orb debarres not Mars c. That the Planets get into one anothers supposed Orbs is plain from their greatest laste distances from the centre of the Earth Mars his least distance 556 Semidiam Venus greatest distance 2598 Semidiam Venus least distance 399 Semidiam Mercuries greatest distance 2176 Semidiam Now they that make solid Orbs must of necessity make the Orb of the Planet as high or as low as the Planet it self is at least Wherefore the lowest distance of an high Planet being much lower then the highest distance of a lower Planet as appears out of Landsbergius his calculation in his Vranometria it must needs be that their supposed solid orbs will runne one into another But you 'll say it is foul play to appeal to Landsbergius his Calculation sith he is a party But I see no man distrust his conclusions though they mislike his Hypothesis How ever that this objection may be taken away The fluidnesse of the Planetary heavens is acknowledged even by them that are against the motion of the Earth As by Tycho that famous Astronomer who hath made such a System of the world even the earth standing still as may well agree with the conclusions of Landsbergius about the distances of the Planets from the Centre of the earth For there Mars his least distance must needs be lower then Venus greatest distance and Venus lest distance must needs be lower then Mercuries greatest distance As you may see in the Paradigme Where it is very plain that Venus sometime is nearer the earth then Mercury that Mars is sometime nearer the earth then Venus which cannot be without penetration of dimensions in solid Orbs. But what an untoward broken system of the would this of Tycho's is in comparison of that of Copernicus will appear even at first sight if we do but look upon them both I have set down this scheme of Copernicus because it is usefull also for the better understanding of some following passages Copernicus System of the World as it is described in Galilaeo pag. 242. It is plain to any man that is not prejudic'd that this System of the world is more naturall genuine then that of Tycho's No enterfaring or cutting of circles as in Tycho's where the course of the Sunne cuts Mars his circuit No such vast excentricity as there nor disproportionatednesse of Orbs and motions But I 'll leave these things rather for the beholder to spy out then to spend needlesse words in an easie matter STANZ 56. But that disgracement of Philosophy From Flux and Reflux of the Ocean main Their monethly and yearly change c. How the Flux and Reflux of the sea depends on the motion of the earth I shall endeavour to explain as follows About the Centre A describe the circumference of the Earths annuall course HBC from West to East In the point B describe the globe of the earth DEFG running also from West to East in its diurnall course that is from G to D from D to E and so on till it come to G again Here we may observe that every part of the earth at severall times hath a contrary motion As for example Those parts at Dâ—tending