(870)
ipsius Riccioli Agrumentum a Gravium descensu petitum, cui vim ipse Demonstrationis inesse putat; quod examinare hoc loco accuratius opera pretium judicavi.
This with other Arguments he refutes; but declareth p. 330. That, though he knows no Argument, demonstrating the Rest of the Earth and Motion of the Sun;, yet the Authority of Holy Writ, now seconded by that of the Sacred Congregation of the Cardinals, put it out of doubt.
Concerning the Doctrine of Motion, the Author saith thus, p. 15. Motuum Compositorum Contemplatio dignasane este, quæ a Geometris excolatur. De solo motu Volutionis conscripsi Tract atum integrum, quem cum libris Cylindricorum & Annularium in lucem edidi. De Motu Projectorum, qui & ipse Compositus est, subtilissimi exstant Libri Galilæi & Torricellii: Et præter hæc, alia supersunt innumera, de quibus integra Nova Scientia condi possit. (Which is accordingly done by the Excellent Dr. Wallis in his Book now in the Press.)
For the case of Calculating an Eclipse of the Sun, we find, that this Author p. 177. determines, in what part of the Earth such an Eclipse shall appear, without the Aid of Parallax, and that the Sun's Parallax, as to the determination of Celestial Motions, may be safely neglected. And p. 40. he rejects the Sensible Inequality of the Solar or Tropical years; as also p. 60. the Irregularity of the Obliquity of the Ecliptick, of the Procession of the Equinoxes and Excentricity. Pag. 127, he solves that Doubt of Ricciolus, That it cannot be exactly and evidently known by any Natural Observations made of the Moon or any Star, what the Parallax is, without the fore-knowledge of the Parallax, or distance from the Earth. And p. 193. avoids these Inconveniences in assigning the Declinations of the Fixed Stars. P. 338. this Author asserts, that the Comets and New Stars, that have appear'd since 1572, have been far above the Moon; and that Ricciolus about this Controversie seem'd too favourably inclined to Claramontius, asserting the contrary.
Concerning the Cause of the Secondary light of the Moon before and after the New, to wit, the obscure part of her appearing like kindled glittering Ashes, our Author assigns it to be the Suns rays reflected from the bright Hemisphere of the Earth to the darker portion of the Moon, and thence again directly reflected to the Earth destitute of the Sun's light. This Phenomenon he saith, is learnedly explain'd in Philos. Optica Nic. Zuccbii from p. 247 to p. 260.
The Author hath not framed nor annex'd any Tables to his Book, although he abundantly shews, How they may be computed: referring his Reader to those of Tycho, Reinholdus, Longomontanus, Kepler, Lansberg, Wendelinus, Bullialdus, Petavius, Reinerius, Ricciolus; to which may be added those of Duret, Billy, Street (which last fixes the Nodes and Aphelions) and Wings, now in the Press.
To the end of these 8 Books. are annext Proportions for the 28 Cases of
