told How Swift their Motion was, if for Example it had been faid, the Earth, a Globe of above Eight Thousand Miles in Diameter, went a Thousand Miles in a Minute in her Annual Journey, and Mercury a Hundred Thoufand in His Periodical motion round the Sun.

.122

What if the Sun

be Center to the World This is what is call'd the Copernican System, Reviv'd by Copernicus Two Hundred Years ago, but was known Long Before by Pytha goras, &c. That Other, where the Earth was Suppos'd the Center, was receiv'd many Ages, and call'd the Ptolomean from Ptolomy a Mathematician in the Time of the Emperour M. Aurelius.

123

and Other Starrs

The Planets of This System.

127 Progreffive, Retrograde,

Going Forward, Backward,

128 in Six thou Seeft, and what if Seventh to These

the Planet Earth,

Milton could not but know that in This System the Moon was not a Primary Planet, there was no Occafion for More Exactnefs Here. Nor does he beg the Question by calling the Earth a Planet; What he fays is, that

A a 4

Upon

Upon the Suppofition of v. 122, it would be One. He has Exprefs'd his Thought Shorter, and Better to Thofe who Read with a Good Mind; Good in Both Sences.

130 Infenfibly Three Different Motions move? Infenfibly, that is, to Those who are its Inhabitants, Adam, to whom This is faid, could perceive no fuch thing, v. 164. the Three Different Motions are her Diurnal, her Annual, and That which is call'd the Motion of Reflection of her Axis by which fhe keeps in the fame Direction. There is no real Occafion to fuppofe This Motion; but it was thought there was, in Milton's time the Copernican Syftem was not fo well Understood as Now.

133

and that Swift Nocturnal and Diurnal Rhomb Suppos'd, Invifible Elfe

That fwift Wheel of Day and Night, as 'tis immediately Explain'd, (for so Rhombos Signifies in Greek) 'twas Suppos'd, Seen in Imagination, no Otherwife. This is the Primum Mobile, an Expedient of Ptolomy to Solve his Syftem, 'twas Suppos'd to be beyond the Fix'd Stars, and a Sphere, the Utmoft Extremity of the Creation.

140

What if that Light Sent from her through the Wide transpicuous Aire,

to the Terrefrial Moon be as a Starr

What

What if the Light fent from the Earth through the Wide, Tranfparent Air be as a Star to the Moon, Another Earth. that the Moon is Like our Earth, is a Notion as Ancient as Pythagoras; the Egyptians call'd her the Ethereal Earth. And that not only the Moon but the Other Heavenly Bodies were Inhabited was imagin'd in those Early times. See Lucret. II. 1073.

145

-Her Spots thou feeft Those Spots are not Clouds or Vapours (as V. 419.) but Are, and Ever were Seen as Now, the Moon Always turning the Same Face to

Us.

149

thou wilt Defcrie

Here 'tis not Meant Adam only but He, or his Pofterity, v. 86. He has Elsewhere Hinted This Notion to be Known from Future Discovery, III. 566. V. 268, &c. He Alludes to the Invention of Tellefcopes, it could be Defcry'd (Difcern'd, Seen with Exactness) no Otherwife.

150 Communicating Male and Female Light, That of the Sun and Moon. Plin. L. 1. C. 100, 101. Solem effe Mafculum fidus e contrario ferunt Lunæ, &c. i. e. We confi"der the Sun as a Masculine Star, Drying and

Contracting all things; on the Contrary the "Moon is Feminine, Soft'ning and Diffolving.

" in This manner the Powers of Nature are "So Diftributed that all things are preferv'd "in a Medium, Some of the Stars Binding "the Elements, and Others Loofing them.

151 which two great Sexes Animate the World, the Ancients have Suppos'd Sexes not in Light only, but in All other Inanimate, as well as Animated Beings. So in Trees in particular Philoftr. L. I. 9. Milton has had That Thought V. 215. the Sexes Animate, Propagate Being.

157

this Habitable,

an Adjective us'd Subftantively, Earth is Understood as V. 753, one Intire Globose. VI. 78, this Terrene, This Habitable is pure Greek 'Ongpin, the Inhabited, for the Earth.

Ibid.

Light back to them

which returns

So 140. 144. III. 723. the Angel is Intimating a Probability that the Heavenly Bodies are Peopled as well as This Habitable of Ours, not only because Elfe fo Vaft a part of the Univerfe would be in a manner Defert and Ufelefs, but because, as They ferve Us with a Small Portion of Light, We Return Some to Them, which would be to no Purpose if no Creatures dwelt There to receive the Benefit of it. See V. 259.

160 Whether the Sun Predominant

as

as III. 571. Above them all, IV. 33. Sole Do

minion.

162

his Flaming Rode Elegantly Applying to the Road what belongs to the Sun. So I. 786. he fays the Moon Wheels her Pale Courfe.

164

that Spinning Sleeps

on her Soft Axle

an Exceeding Apt Illuftration, tho' taken from a Common, Mean Circumftance, (but warranted by Virg. Æ. VII. 378.) a Top the Boys play with will Thus Spin and Sleep, Seem to be without any Motion while it is Whirling round very Swiftly on its Perpendicular Axle. the Same Top Explains the Progreffive Motion of the Heavenly Bodies going on in their Circular Courfe, and ftill turning themselves Spinning Swiftly round.

Almost every Word in This Description of the Earth's motion ferves to convince the Mind of the Infenfibility of it (as v. 130.) and to Answer the Objection Naturally Suggefted; her Silent Courfe, Inoffenfive Pace, Sleeps, Soft Axle, Soft with the Smooth Air. Plin. II. 3. nobis qui intus agimus juxta diebus noctibufque Tacitus Labitur Mundus.

182

the Eafieft way,

taught to live

to pafs Life Sweetly. Traducere Leniter Æ