PART XIII

E 9 I C U R U S.
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mine from what caufe the motion of the Stars Ihould proceed.
But, How comes it to pafs, that fome Stars anticipate, or get before others, fo as that vve fee the other left behind them ; This may hap^ pen, either becaufe the others performing the fame diurnal revolution with them are moved raoreflowly, as the Moon, which moving more flowly than the reft, tovvards the Weft, is left as it were behi'nd them Eaft-ward. Or becaufe, being carried about by the diurnal motion to¬ wards the Weft, they are in the mean time flow- ly carried on, by a contrary motion towards the Eaft, whereby the Moon may not have been left by the reft,Eaft'Ward,but rather have left them Weft-ward. Or becaufe, all things being car¬ ried about only with a diurnal revolution, and equal motion, yet fome perform a longer, others a Ihorter courfe ; and fo the Moon, if Ihe be a- above the fixed Stars, as fome conceive, will per¬ form its revolution more flowly, and be obfer- ved to be left behind.
Certainly, to alTert any thing abfolutely in thefe matters, becomes thofe,who affeft to make oftentation of foraething magnificent, and pro¬ digious before the multitude.
A gain, How comes it to pafs,that theSunjMoon, and Planets, when they come to the T ropicks, or Solftices, turn about and go back again ? This may happen, either becaufe, fuch a kind of cir¬ cular motion was at the beginning imprefs’d up¬ on thefe Stars, as that they fliould be carried round about after a fpiral manner, limited on each fide at the Solftices. Or that they go ac¬ cording to the obliquity of Heaven, which in procefs of time acquired a neceffity of that in- direft pofition. Or becaufe, they are repelTd by the Air, which drivetb them back on, now to thi§ fide, now to that,by reafon of its coldnefs,denfi- ‘ ty, or fome other quality. Or becaufe, their ali¬ ment is conveniently difpofed all along that way ^kind¬ ling backward, and failing forwards.
^nd thefe, and thofe which are like thefe, have in them nothing requgnant to the evidence of things • if a man,adhering only to the pjfbility that is in thefe- things, can reduce each of them to that, which agre- eth with the Phoenomena\not fearing the groundlefs contrivemcnts of Aftrologers,wbo forbear not to build upon and in them a vafi company ofconcentriclOrbs.
CHAP. IV.
Of the Rifing and Setting of the Stars, and of the alternate length ofdayes and nights,
THe Rifing and Setting of the Sun, Moon, and the reft of the Scars may happen three
ways,
Firft,^ appearance above, and occultation beneath: For that the Stars being always bright and never extinguifh’d, are fo carried about, above, and be¬ low the Earth, that fometlmes they rife, fom- times they go down, or fet • and the Sun, in particular, when he goeth down caufeth dark- nefs with us but returning, he enkindleth as it were theHeaven with his morning-beams.There is not any thing amongft the Phenomena’s which contradicts this;
Again, by being enkindled in the Eaft quarter, Lam. and extinguifhed m the Weft : For, tiprejnay be fuch a difpofition of the Medium in bot!^ ihefc places, as that, whilft the Stars pafs' through Mt, what I a firm may be.ejfctJecfthere being nothing in the Pb^- nomenas that contraditls it ^ feeing, tnefe are not only fountains that extinguifli, bt)t’ fuch alfo, as enkindle Tapers, as that at Epire, formerly mentioned. So that the Ocean compaffing the Earth, the Sun may be 'extinguifhed % it in the Weft quarter, and return all along it, ' paffing along the North into the Eaft puarter,and from theneb arife re-enkindled. \ '
Thirdly, by a new production evbry day • for nothing hindreth, but that there may every day arife new Suns; for example, there flowing to¬ gether to the Eaft,feveral fires, or feeds 'of fire, which joyn in one round Body, and {hine,and are carried on impetuoufly towards the Weft. For it is reported,that the like happens in the Moun¬ tains of Ida, and chiefly about, the ri'fihg of the Dog-ftar and that fires may meet in great Bo¬ dies together at certain feafons, fuay be" under- ftood from what is obferved to bed6fiedt;fome determinate time iirall 'other Bodies. Tor, from the confiuxionand defluxion of feed, Trees at a certain time bring forth leaves and fruits, at a certain time fhed them ^ at a ceftain timb Teeth are bred, at a Certain time eaft •, add fo'in other things, which it vvere too long to inftance.
Now the Sun’s continuartce above the Earth making day, and his abfence night How. comes it to pafs, that'all dares arC hot equal, .and all nights equal, but that ,iii Summer the days are longer, the nights fhott'er- ; in Winter alternate¬ ly, the nights lofiger and tHc days fliorter ?;
This alfo may happen three Ways.
Firft, For that' the revolutions of the Sun above Laei t. and beneath theEaHh'fdrffometimcs 'perfoYhied fafer, fomethnes flower, apor ding the the atteVhate lengths of the paces, or ways in vvhich the Sun. pafTeth : T f Lucrcf^ And this by reaFon 6f the pofition of the, Orb cabled the Zodiatk^ through which the Sun paf- feth obliquely, and in two Signs of it makes the nights and the days equal. But when from thence he declinech to the North or South, as much of his journey as he taketh ofFfrom one part, either above or below the Earth, fo much he adds to' the other.
Secondly, Becaufe there may be certain .places in the zyFther, which, by reafon of their grojfnefs, and the refifance which happens thereupon, cannot be paf- fed thorough fo fwiftly as others. Such are thofe which make the Sun ftay long berieaththe Earth in the Winter, whereby they make the night lon¬ ger and the day ftiorter than in Summer, Some things of the fame kind may be obferved amongfl us, according to which it is convenient to explicate fu- periour Bodies.
Thirdly, that in the alternate parts of the year, the fires, or feeds of fire aforefaid, flow together in fuch manner, as that they make a Sun foonet or laCer and the Sun rifes out of that part from which he begins a longer ot Ihorter courfe above the Earth.
They who infift and fix upon but fome one particular way, to explicate thefe effeCfs, both contradict things apparent, and deviate from that which falls under human comtemplation.
CHAP.
E P I C U R U S.
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