Simpl.I will run to a Miracle still, if you do not with some other natural causes, besides that of the motion of the Vessels of the Sea-water disswade me from it; for I know that those Vessels move not, in regard that all the entire Terrestrial Globe is naturally immoveable.
Salv.But do not you think, that the Terrestrial Globe might supernaturally, that is, by the absolute power of God, be made moveable?
Simpl.Who doubts it?
Salv.Then Simplicius, seeing that to make the flux and reflux of the Sea, it is necessary to introduce a Miracle, let us suppose the Earth to move miraculously, upon the motion of which the Sea moveth naturally: and this effect shall be also the more simple, and I may say natural, amongst the miraculous operations, in that the making a Globe to move round, of which kind we see many others to move, is lesse difficult than to make an immense masse of water go forwards and backwards, in one place more swiftly, and in another lesse, and to rise and fall in some places more; in some lesse, and in some not at all: and to work all these different effects in one and the same Vessel that containeth it: besides, that these are several Miracles, and that is but one onely. And here it may be added, that the Miracle of making the water to move is accompanied with another, namely, the holding of the Earth stedfast against impetuosities of the water, able to make it swage sometimes one way, and sometimes another, if it were not miraculously kept to rights.
Sagr.God Simplicius, let us for the present suspend our judgement about sentencing the new opinion to be vain that Salviatus is about to explicate unto us, nor let us so hastily flye out into passion like the scolding overgrown Haggs: and as for the Miracle, we may as well recurre to it when we have done hearing the Discourses contained within the bounds of natural causes: though to speak freely, all the Works of nature, or rather of God, are in my judgement miraculous.
Salv.And I am of the same opinion; nor doth my saying, that the motion of the Earth is the Natural cause of the ebbing and flowing, hinder, but that the said motion of the Earth may be miraculous. Now reassuming our Argument, I apply, and once again affirm, that it hath been hitherto unknown how it might be that the Waters contained in our Mediterranean Straights should make those motions, as we see it doth, if so be the said Straight, or containing Vessel were immoveable. And that which makes the difficulty, and rendreth this matter inextricable, are the things which I am about to speak of, and which are daily observed. Therefore lend me your attention.
We are here in Venice, where at this time the Waters are low,the
