How did the incredulous world gaze at Columbus, when he promised to discover another part of the earth? And he could not for a long time, by his confidence or arguments, induce any of the christian princes, either to assent unto his opinion, or go to the charges of an experiment. Now if he, who had such good grounds for his assertion, could find no better entertainment among the wiser sort, and upper end of the world; it is not likely then that this opinion which I now deliver, shall receive any thing from the men of these days; especially our vulgar wits, but misbelief or derision. It hath always been the unhappiness of new truths in philosophy, to be derided by those that are ignorant of the causes of things; and rejected by others, whose perverseness ties them to the contrary opinion; men whose envious pride will not allow any new thing for truth, which they themselves were not the first inventors of. So that I may justly expect to be accused of a pragmatical ignorance, and bold ostentation; especially, since for this opinion Xenophanes, a man whose authority was able to add some credit to his assertion, could not escape the like censure from others. For Natales Comes*, speaking of that philosopher, and this his opinion, saith thus: Nonnulli ne nihil scisse videantur, aliqua nova monstra in philosophiam introducunt, ut alicujus rei inventores fuisse appareant. "Some there "are who lest they might seem to know nothing, will "bring up monstrous absurdities in philosophy, that so "afterward they may be famed for the invention of some 66 what." The same author doth also in another place + accuse Anaxagoras of folly for the same opinion. Est enim non ignobilis gradus stultitiæ, vel si nescias quid dicas, tamen velle de rebus propositis hanc vel illam partem stabilire. ""Tis none of the worst kinds of folly, boldly "to affirm one side or other, when a man knows not what "to say." If these men were thus censured, I may justly then expect * Mythol. lib. 3. c. 17. + Lib. 7. c. 1. to he derided by most, and to be believed by few or none; especially since this opinion seems to carry in it so much. strangeness, and contradiction to the general consent of others. But however, I am resolved that this shall not be any discouragement, since I know that it is not common opinion that can either add or detract from the truth. For, 1. Other truths have been formerly esteemed altogether as ridiculous as this can be. 2. Gross absurdities have been entertained by general opinion. I shall give an instance of each, that so I may the better prepare the reader to consider things without a prejudice ; when he shall see that the common opposition against this which I affirm, cannot anyway derogate from its truth. 1. Other truths have been formerly accounted as ridiculous as this. I shall specify that of the Antipodes, which have been denied, and laughed at by many wise men and great scholars; such as were Herodotus, Chrysostom, Austin, Lactantius, the venerable Bede, Lucretius the poet, Procopius, and the voluminous Abulensis, together with all those fathers or other authors who denied the roundness of the heavens *. Herodotus counted it so horrible an absurdity, that he could not forbear laughing to think of it. Γελω δε όρων γης περίοδος γράψαντας, πολλές ηδη και εδενα νόον έχοντας εξηγησαμενον οι Ωκεανοντε ρεόντα γραφεσι, περιξ την τε γην εισαν κύκλο τερεα ως απο τορν8. "I cannot chuse but "laugh, (saith he) to see so many men venture to describe "the earth's compass, relating those things that are without "all sense as that the sea flows about the world, and that "the earth itself is round as an orb." But this great ignorance is not so much to be admired in him, as in those learned men of later times, when all sciences began to flourish in the world. Such were St. Chrysostom, who in his 14th homily upon the Epistle to the Hebrews, does make a challenge to any man that shall dare to defend that the heavens are round, and not rather as a tent. * Vid. Josep, Acosta, de nat. novi orbis, 1. 1. cap. 1. Thus likewise St. Austin *, who censures that relation of the Antipodes to be an incredible fable; and with him agrees the eloquent Lactantius +. Quid illi qui esse contrarios vestigiis nostris Antipodes putant? num aliquid loquuntur? aut est quispiam tam ineptus, qui credat esse homines, quorum vestigia sunt superiora quam capita? aut ibi quæ apud nos jacent inversa pendere? fruges & arbores deorsum versus crescere, pluvias & nives, & grandinem sursum versus cadere in terram? & miratur aliquis hortos pensiles inter septem mira narrari, quum philosophi, & agros, & maria, & urbes, & montes pensiles faciunt, &c. "What (saith he) are they "that think there are Antipodes, such as walk with their "feet against ours? do they speak any likelihood; or is "there any one so foolish as to believe that there are men "whose heels are higher than their heads? that things "which with us do lie on the ground, do hang there? "that the plants and trees grow downwards, that the hail, “and rain, and snow fall upwards to the earth? and do we "admire the hanging orchards amongst the seven wonders, "whereas here the philosophers have made the fields and seas, the cities and mountains hanging?" What shall we think (saith he in Plut.) that men do cling to that place like worms, or hang by their claws as cats? or if we suppose a man a little beyond the centre, to be digging with a spade, is it likely (as it must be according to this opinion) that the earth which he loosened, should of itself ascend upwards? Or else suppose two men with their middles about the centre, the feet of the one being placed where the head of the other is, and so two other men cross them; yet all these men thus situated, according to this opinion should stand upright; and many other such gross consequences would follow (saith he) which a false imagination is not able to fancy as possible. Upon which considerations, Bede also denies the being of any Antipodes, Neque enim Antipodarum ullatenus est fabulis accommodandus 66 * De civit. Dei, l. 16. cap. 9. Institut. 1. 3. cap. 24. assensus*. "Nor should we any longer assent to the fable "of Antipodes." So also Lucretius the poet speaking of the same subject, says, Sed vanus stolidis hæc omnia finxerit error ↑. That some idle fancy feigned these for fools to believe. Of this opinion was Procopius Gazæus ; but he was persuaded to it by another kind of reason; for he thought that all the earth under us was sunk in the water, according to the saying of the Psalmist, He hath founded the earth upon the seas; and therefore he accounted it not inhabited by any. Nay, Tostatus, a man of later years and general learning, doth also confidently deny that there are any such Antipodes, though the reason which he urges for it be not so absurd as the former; for the apostles, saith he, travelled through the whole habitable world, but they never passed the equinoctial ||: and if you answer, that they are said to go through all the earth, because they went through all the known world; he replies, That this is not sufficient, since Christ would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of his truth, and therefore it is requisite that they should have travelled thither also, if there had been any inhabitants; especially since he did expressly command them to go and teach all nations, and preach the gospel through the whole world**: and therefore he thinks, that as there are no men, so neither are there seas, or rivers, or any other conveniency for habitation ++. It is commonly related of one Virgilius, that he was excommunicated and condemned for a heretic by Zachary bishop of Rome, because he was not of the same opinion. But Baronius says ‡‡, it was because he thought there was another habitable world within ours. However, you may well enough discern in these examples, how confident many of these great scholars were in so gross an error; how un * De ratione temporum, cap. 32. † De nat. rerum, lib. 1. Comment. in 1 Gen. ¶ 1 Tim. ii. 4. †† Aventinus Annal. Boiorum, lib.3. **Matt. xxviii. 19. Annal. Eccles. A.D. 748. likely, what an incredible thing it seemed to them, that there should be any Antipodes; and yet now this truth is as certain and plain, as sense or demonstration can make it. This then which I now deliver, is not to be rejected, though it may seem to contradict the common opinion. 2. Gross absurdities have been entertained by general consent. I might instance in many remarkable examples, but I will only speak of the supposed labour of the moon in her eclipses, because this is nearest to the chief matter in hand, and was received as a common opinion amongst many of the ancients; insomuch, that from hence they stiled eclipses by the name of xa, passions, or in the phrase of the poets, Solis lunæque labores. And therefore Plutarch speaking of a lunary eclipse, relates, that at such times it was a custom amongst the Romans, (the most civil and learned people in the world) to sound brass instruments, and hold great torches toward the heaven*. Των δε Ρωμαίων (ωσπερ εςιν ενομισμένον) χαλκός τε παταγοις ανακαλεμένων το Φως αυτής και πυρα πολλα δαλοις και δασσιν ανεχοντων προς τον ερανον. For by this means they supposed the moon was much eased in her labours; and therefore Ovid calls such loud instruments, the auxiliaries or helps of the moon, Cum frustra resonant æra auxiliaria lunæ ↑. And therefore the satyrist too, describing a loud scold, says, She was able to make noise enough to deliver the labouring moon. Una laboranti poterit succurrere lunæ ‡. Now the reason of all this their ceremony, was, because they feared the world would fall asleep, when one of its eyes began to wink, and therefore they would do what they could by loud sounds to rouse it from its drowsiness, and keep it awake; by bright torches, to bestow that light upon it which it began to lose. * In vita Paul Emil. † Metam. Hb. 4. Juven. Sat, 6. |