Salv.I would answer for my self in general terms, that if it were appointed by the will of God, that the Earth should cease from its diurnal revolution, those birds would do what ever should please the same Divine will. But if this Author desire a more particular answer, I should tell him, that they would do quite contrary to what they do now, if whilst they, being separated from the Earth, do bear themselves up in the air, the Terrestrial Globe by the will of God, should all on a sudden be put upon a precipitate motion; it concerneth this Author now to ascertain us what would in this case succeed.
Sagr.I pray you, Salviatus, at my request to grant to this Author, that the Earth standing still by the will of God, the other things, separated from it, would continue to turn round of their own natural motion, and let us hear what impossibilities or inconveniences would follow: for I, as to my own particular, do not see how there can be greater disorders, than these produced by the Author himself, that is, that Larks, though they should flie, could not be able to hover over their nests, nor Crows over snails, or rocks: from whence would follow, that Crows must suffer for want of snails, and young Larks must die of hunger, and cold, not being able to be fed or sheltered by the wings of the old ones. This is all the ruine that I can conceive would follow, supposing the Authors speech to be true. Do you see, Simplicius, if greater inconveniences would happen?
Simpl.I know not how to discover greater; but it is very credible, that the Author besides these, discovered other disorders in Nature, which perhaps in reverend respect of her, he was not willing to instance in. Therefore let us proceed to the third Objection. Insuper quî fit, ut istæ res tam variæ tantùm moveantur ab Occasu in Ortum, parallelæ ad Æquatorem? ut semper moveantur, nunquam quiescant? [which speaks to this sense:] Moreover, how comes it to pass that these things, so diverse, are onely moved from the West towards the East, parallel to the Æquinoctial? that they always move, and never rest?
Salv.They move from West to East parallel to the Aequinoctial without ceasing, in the same manner as you believe the fixed stars to move from East to West, parallel to the Æquinoctial, without ever resting.
Simpl.Quarè, quò sunt altiores, celeriùs; quò humiliores, tardiùs? (i. e.) Why are the higher the swifter, and the lower the slower?
Salv.Because that in a Sphere or circle, that turns about upon its own centre, the remoter parts describe greater circuits, and the parts nearer at hand describe lesser in the same time.
Simpl.Quare, quæ Æquinoctiali propriores, in majori; quæremotiores,
