Power, or by some Angel, a very great Cannon bullet were carried up thither, and placed in our Zenith or vertical point, and from thence let go at liberty, it is in his, and also in my opinion, a most incredible thing that it, in descending downwards, should all the way maintain it self in our vertical line, continuing to turn round with the Earth, about its centre, for so many dayes, describing under the Equinoctial a Spiral line in the plain of the great circle it self; and under other Parallels, Spiral lines about Cones, and under the Poles falling by a simple right line. He, in the next place, stablisheth and confirmeth this great improbability by proving, in the way of interrogations, many difficulties impossible to be removed by the followers of Copernicus; and they are, if I do well remember———.
Salv.Take up a little, good Simplicius, and do not load me with so many novelties at once: I have but a bad memory, and therefore I must not go too fast. And in regard it cometh into my minde, that I once undertook to calculate how long time such a grave body falling from the concave of the Moon, would be in passing to the centre of the Earth, and that I think I remember that the time would not be so long; it would be fit that you shew us by what rule this Author made his calculation.
Simpl.He hath done it by proving his intent à fortiori, a sufficient advantage for his adversaries, supposing that the velocity of the body falling along the vertical line, towards the centre of the Earth, were equal to the velocity of its circular motion, which it made in the grand circle of the concave of the Lunar Orb. Which by equation would come to passe in an hour, twelve thousand six hundred German miles, a thing which indeed savours of impossibility: Yet neverthelesse, to shew his abundant caution, and to give all advantages to his adversaries, he supposeth it for true, and concludeth, that the time of the fall ought however to be more than six dayes.
Salv.And is this the sum of his method? And doth he by this demonstration prove the time of the fall to be above six dayes?
Sagr.Me thinks that he hath behaved himself too modestly, for that having it in the power of his will to give what velocity he pleased to such a descending body, and might aswell have made it six moneths, nay, six years in falling to the Earth, he is content with six dayes. But, good Salviatus, sharpen my appetite a little, by telling me in what manner you made your computation, in regard you say, that you have heretofore cast it up: for I am confident that if the question had not required some ingenuity in working it, you would never have applied your minde unto it.
Salv.
