Galilei, Galileo, The systems of the world, 1661

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1inconcluſiveneſſe at leaſt of the demonſtrations of this Author,
firſt
propoſed to conſideration, and how both he, and all the
Aſtronomers
with whom he contendeth, do agree that the new
Star
had not any motion of its own, and onely went round with
the
diurnal motion of the primum mobile; but diſſent about the
placing
of it, the one party putting it in the Celeſtial Region,
that
is above the Moon, and haply above the fixed Stars, and
the
other judging it to be neer to the Earth, that is, under the
concave
of the Lunar Orb.
And becauſe the ſituation of the new
ſtar
, of which we ſpeak, was towards the North, and at no very
great
diſtance from the Pole, ſo that to us Septentrionals, it did
never
ſet, it was an eaſie matter with Aſtronomical inſtruments
to
have taken its ſeveral meridian altitudes, as well its ſmalleſt
under
the Pole, as its greateſt above the ſame; from the
ring
of which altitudes, made in ſeveral places of the Earth,
ſituate
at different diſtances from the North, that is, different
from
one another in relation to polar altitudes, the ſtars diſtance
might
be inferred: For if it was in the Firmament amongſt the

other
fixed ſtars, its meridian altitudes taken in divers elevations
of
the pole, ought neceſſarily to differ from each other with the
ſame
variations that are found amongſt thoſe elevations
ſelves
; that is, for example, if the elevation of the ſtar above
the
horizon was 30 degrees, taken in the place where the polar
altitude
was v. gr. 45 degrees, the elevation of the ſame ſtar
ought
to have been encreaſed 4 or 5 degrees in thoſe more
thernly
places where the pole was higher by the ſaid 4 or 5
grees
.
But if the ſtars diſtance from the Earth was but very little,
in
compariſon of that of the Firmament; its meridian altitudes
ought
approaching to the North to encreaſe conſiderably more
than
the polar altitudes; and by that greater encreaſe, that is,
by
the exceſſe of the encreaſe of the ſtars elevation, above the
encreaſe
of the polar elevation (which is called the difference of
Parallaxes
) is readily calculated with a cleer and ſure method,
the
ſtars diſtance from the centre of the Earth.
Now this Author
taketh
the obſervations made by thirteen Aſtronomers in ſundry
elevations
of the pole, and conferring a part of them at his
ſure
, he computeth by twelve collations the new ſtars height to
have
been alwayes beneath the Moon; but this he adventures to
do
in hopes to find ſo groſſe ignorance in all thoſe, into whoſe
hands
his book might come, that to ſpeak the truth, it hath turn'd
my
ſtomack; and I wait to ſee how thoſe other Aſtronomers, and
particularly
Kepler, againſt whom this Author principally
veigheth
, can contein themſelves in ſilence, for he doth not uſe
to
hold his tongue on ſuch occaſions; unleſſe he did poſſibly
think
the enterprize too much below him.
Now to give you to

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