Sagr.You have done very well; but if we would re-assume our Disputations according to yesterdayes appointment, it is requisite that we first hear what account Salviatus hath to give us of the Book, De stellis novis, and then without interruption we may proceed to the Annual motion. Now what say you, Salviatus touching those stars? Are they really pull'd down from Heaven to these lower regions, by vertue of that Authours calculations, whom Simplicius mentioneth?
Salv.I set my self last night to peruse his proceedings, and I have this morning had another view of him, to see whether that which he seemed over night to affirm, were really his sense, or my dreams and phantastical nocturnal imaginations; and in the close found to my great grief that those things were really written and printed, which for the reputation-sake of this Philosopher I was unwilling to believe. It is in my judgment impossible, but that he should perceive the vanity of his undertaking, aswell because it is too apert, as because I remember, that I have heard him mentioned with applause by the Academick our Friend: it seemeth to me also to be a thing very unlikely, that in complacency to others, he should be induced to set so low a value upon his reputation, as to give consent to the publication of a work, for which he could expect no other than the censure of the Learned.
Sagr.Yea, but you know, that those will be much fewer than one for an hundred, compared to those that shall celebrate and extoll him above the greatest wits that are, or ever have been in the world: He is one that hath mentioned the Peripatetick inalterability of Heaven against a troop of Astronomers, and that to their greater disgrace hath foiled them at their own weapons: and what do you think four or five in a Countrey that discern his triflings, can do against the innumerable multitude, that, not being able to discover or comprehend them, suffer themselves to be taken with words, and so much more applaud him, by how much the lesse they understand him? You may adde also, that those few who understand, scorn to give an answer to papers so trivial and unconcludent; and that upon very good reasons, because to the intelligent there is no need thereof, and to those that do not understand, it is but labour lost.
Salv.The most deserved punishment of their demerits would certainly be silence, if there were not other reasons, for which it is haply no lesse than necessary to resent their timerity: one of which is, that we Italians thereby incur the censure of Illiterates, and attract the laughter of Forreigners; and especially to such who are separated from our Religion; and I could shew you many of those of no small eminency, who scoff at our Academick, and the many Mathematicians that are in Italic, for suffering thefollies
