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‘On. 5S'tz.crlg; mzd ..lRie,9eareiz.,-< ' r --3.51,
91111113 ct e Curru Lunam deduccre tenlat, V , < ,- ,
Et facciggt si 7zon‘zEfa repulsa sofzent. Tib.tI.-El. 8.. .
- face Sen.‘Hipolit. 787. book 26. Tacit. Anna Plutarch
in Pericles et liber dc defectu oraculorum. , . 1 - .
5;.
‘i The knowledge ‘of the system of tlietworldlhas dissipated the errors
of astrolo.-‘D’. by whose foolish predictions mankind have been so long
abused. The adventure of 1186 should have covered with shame the
‘1.5tf‘0logcrs of ‘Europe; they were all, Christians, Jews, and Arabians,
“Plted to announce, seven years before, by letters published throughout
PTOPB, a conjunction of all the planets, which ‘would be attended
‘(V1111 such terriblelramges, that ageneral dissolution of nature was
much to be dreaded, so that nothing less than the end of the world was
expected: this year notwithstanding passed as others. . But a hun-
dred lies, each as well attested, would not be sullicient to wain igno- '
ljilnt and credulous men fmm the prejudices of their inlhncy. ;It was
11CCcssa1'y that a spiritof philosophy, andresearch, should spreadiitself
“m0ng‘ mankind, open their understandings, unveil. the ‘limits-of
m“1Te,‘and accustom them’ not to be terrified without exam1nat.1on,<
and without proof, .
The comets, as it is well known, were one of the great obgects of
terror which the knowledge of the system of the world has in fine rev
"‘0V<=d. It is not without concern we find such strange prejudices in
the finest poem of thc- lastage, ‘whereby they ‘r are transmitted to the.
latest posterity. . ‘ A ' .‘
Qual con le chiomc szmguinose horedde, Ax i ‘
Splenclertcometa szzol per laria adusta, - t ‘ e ‘
Che regni eaficri mortiudducc,‘ . = 4 e . ' ’ ' ’ ‘
pzirperci tiranei irgfuusta luce. Jcruss Lib-
The charms of poetry are actually employed V in a manner more pllisr
losophical and useful, witness the following line passage. ' ‘
Come-tes que l’on craint a legal du tomzere,
Cesseiz depozwafzter les peuples de la terrci
Dans unc Ellipse immense qcheve: votre coltT3;"
Remontez descendez pre's de l’astT,e 119-?'J0"7‘-3 -' ‘ ‘
Lancez vos fcux, 75012:, et revenantsans cesse
Des mondcs epuiscz.ranime‘z la vzellesse. w
Thus the profound study of the system of theworld l1115.dI5?1Pa‘ed
:. illlrd prejudices, and re-established human reason-mtits inalienable
lg ts. .. . , . . , .
T0 the knowledge-of the system of the world, gareowmg th"’“.n‘
llroxrements in eosmography, geography, and navigation, I the obser-
vation: of the height-of the poletaught men that the eartlmvas round,’
.3 eclipses of‘-the moon taught how to deiefmllle “)9 1"“$‘tf‘,’de5 of 3:83
‘ crent countries of the world, or their mnt.ual.dxstanF95. romd-e135 O
""“St- -The discovery or the -satelites of Juplterhas Contribute "'“‘”‘g
mectuany to improve geographical or marine. Charts: ' amneten thou”?
Teams navigation; and when their. theory ‘win he better known, t e
:s'..- h > ‘