And such are those (in my conceit at least)
Those Clerks that think (think how absurd a jest)
That neither Heav'ns nor Stars do turn at all,
Nor dance about this great round Earthy Ball;
But th'Earth itself, this Massy Globe of ours,
Turns roundabout once every twice-twelve hours:
And we resemble Land-bred Novices
New brought aboard to venture on the Seas;
Who, at first launching from the shore, suppose
The ship stands still, and that the ground it goes.

So twinkling Tapers, that Heav'n's Arches fill,
Equally distant should continue still.
So never should an arrow, shot upright,
In the same place upon the shooter light;
But would do (rather) as (at Sea) a stone
Aboard a Ship upward uprightly thrown;
Which not within-board falls, but in the Flood
A-stern the Ship, if so the Wind be good.

So should the Fowls that take their nimble flight
From Western Marches towards Morning's light;
And Zephyrus, that in summer time
Delights to visit Eurus in his clime;
And bullets thundered from the cannon's throat
(Whose roaring drowns the Heav'nly thunder's note)
Should seem recoil:  sithens the quick career,
That our round Earth should daily gallop here, 
Must needs exceed a hundred fold (for swift)
Birds, Bullets, Winds; their wings, their force, their drift.

Arm'd with these Reasons, 'twere superfluous
T'assail the Reasons of Copernicus;
Who to salve better of the Stars th'appearance
Unto the Earth a three-fold motion warrants:
Making the Sun the Center of this All,
Moon, Earth, and Water, in one only Ball.
But sithence here, nor time, nor place doth suit,
His Paradox at length to prosecute;
I will proceed, grounding my next discourse
On the Heav'ns motions, and their constant course.

Having of late (gentle reader) corrected and reformed sundry faults that by negligence in printing have crept into my father's General Prognostication, among other things I found a description or Model of the world, and situation of Spheres Celestial and Elementary, according to the doctrine of Ptolemy, whereunto all Universities (led thereto chiefly by the authority of Aristotle) have ever since then consented.  But in this our age, one rare wit (seeing the continual errors that from time to time more and more have been discovered...) has by long study, painful practice, and rare invention delivered a new Theory or model of the world, showing that the Earth rests not in the Center of the whole world, but only in the Center of this our mortal world or Globe of Elements, which environed and enclosed in the Moon's Orbit, and together with the whole Globe of mortality, is carried yearly round about the Sun, which like a king in the midst of all reigneth and gives laws of motion to the rest, spherically dispersing his glorious beams of light through all this sacred Celestial Temple.  And the earth itself to be one of the Planets ... turning every 24 hours round upon his own Center, whereby the Sun and great Globe of fixed stars seem to sway about and turn, albeit in deed they remain fixed. 

So many ways is the sense of mortal men abused, but reason and deep discourse of wit having opened these things to Copernicus ... I thought it convenient ... to publish this, to the end such noble English minds (as delight to reach above the baser sort of men) might not be altogether defrauded of so noble a part of Philosophy.  And to the end it might manifestly appear that Copernicus meant not as some have fondly accused him, to deliver these grounds of the Earth's mobility only as Mathematical principles, feigned and not as Philosophical truly averred.... 

Why shall we so much dote in the appearance of our senses, which many ways may be abused, and not suffer our selves to be directed by the rule of Reason, which the great GOD has given us as a Lamp to lighten the darkness of our understanding, and the perfect guide to lead us to the golden branch of Verity amid the Forest of errors.... 

And let us not in matters of reason be led away with authority and opinions of men....

The Globe of Elements enclosed on the Orbit of the Moon I call the Globe of Mortality because it is the peculiar Empire of death.  For above the Moon they fear not his force....

In the midst of this Globe of Mortality hangs this dark star or ball of earth and water, balanced and sustained in the midst of the thin air only with that propriety which the wonderful workman hath given at the Creation to the Center of this Globe, with his magnetical force vehemently to draw and [pull forcibly] unto itself all such other Elemental things as retain the like nature.  This ball, every 24 hours by natural, uniform and wonderful sly and smooth motion rolls round, making with his Period our natural day, whereby it seems to us that the huge infinite immoveable Globe [i.e., the sphere of the fixed stars] should sway and turn about. 

The Moon's Orbit, that houses and contains this dark star and the other mortal, changeable, corruptible Elements & Elementate things is also turned round every 29 days 31 minutes 50 seconds ... and this period may most aptly be called the Month.  The rest of the Planets' motions appear by the Picture, and shall more largely be hereafter spoken of.

Herein, good Reader,... I mean though not as a Judge to decide, yet at the mathematical bar in this case to plead, in such sort as it shall manifestly appear to the World whether it be possible upon the Earth's stability to deliver any true or probable Theory and then refer the pronouncing of sentence to the grave Senate of indifferent discreet Mathematical Readers. 

Farewell, and respect my travail as you shall see them tend to the advancement of truth and discovering the Monstrous loathsome shape of error.

• History 60 Home Page

• De Motu [On Motion] (c. 1590) by Galileo Galilei (1564-1642);

• Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems (1632) by Galileo; and

• Principles of Philosophy (1644) by René Descartes (1596-1650).