by William Gilbert

Name: On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5.
Author: by William Gilbert

On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

Summary

“On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5.”, published in 1900, is a work by by William Gilbert. It explores elements such as Earth, motion and first sphære.

Quotes from On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (by William Gilbert)

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ But as to the notion that surface inequality of mountains and valleys would prevent the Earth's diurnal revolution, there is nothing in it: for they do not mar the Earth's roundness, being but slight excrescences compared with the whole Earth; nor does the Earth revolve alone without its emanations. Beyond the emanations, there is no renitency. There is no more labour exerted in the Earth's motion than in the march of the rest of the Stars: nor is it excelled in dignity by some stars. ”

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Source: Wikisource

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ To say that it is frivolous to suppose that the Earth rather seeks a view of the Sun, than the Sun of the Earth, is a mark of great obstinacy and unwisdom. Of the theory of the rotation we have often spoken. If anyone seek the cause of the revolution, or of other tendency of the Earth, from the sea surrounding it, or from the motion of the air, or from the Earth's gravity, he would be no less silly as a theorist than those who stubbornly ground their opinions on the sentiments of the ancients. ”

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Source: Wikisource

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ But those follies are old wives' gossip, and the rubbish of certain philosophizers, men who, when they essay to treat of the highest truths and the fabrick of the universe, and hazard anything, can scarce understand aught ultra crepidam. They would have the Earth to be the centre of a circle; and therefore to rest motionless amid the rotation. But neither the stars nor the wandering globes move about the Earth's centre: the high heaven also does not move circularly round the Earth's centre; nor if the Earth were in the centre, is it a centre itself, but a body around a centre. ”

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Source: Wikisource

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ For if the Earth revolve, that we asserted must needs occur not by reason of the first sphære, but of its innate forces. But if it were set in motion by the first sphære, there would be no successions of days and nights, for it would continue its course along with the Primum Mobile. But that the Earth is affected by a double movement at the time when it rotates around its own centre, because the rest of the stars move with a double motion, does not follow. ”

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Source: Wikisource

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ Wherefore also the clouds are at rest in the air, unless the force of the winds drive them; and objects which are projected into the air fall again into their own place. But those foolish folk who think that towers, temples, and buildings must necessarily be shaken and overthrown by the Earth's motion, may fear lest men at the Antipodes should slip off into an opposite orbe, or that ships when sailing round the entire [249] globe should (as soon as they have dipped under the plane of our horizon) fall into the opposite region of the sky. ”

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Source: Wikisource

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ So lunar things tend to the Moon, solar things to the Sun, within the orbes of their own effluvia. The emanations hold together by continuity of substance, and heavy bodies are also united with the Earth by their own gravity, and move on together in the general motion: especially when there is no renitency of bodies in the way. ”

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Source: Wikisource

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ Ptolemy's reasonings are of no weight; for when our true principles are laid down, the truth comes to light, and it is superfluous to refute them. Let Costæus recognize and philosophers see how unfruitful and vain a thing it becomes then to take one's stand on the principles and unproved opinions of certain ancients. ”

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Source: Wikisource

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ Some raise a doubt how it can be that, if the Earth move round its own axis, a globe of iron or of lead dropped from the highest point of a tower falls exactly perpendicularly to a spot of the Earth below itself. ”

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Source: Wikisource

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ Therefore weight neither hinders the diurnal revolution, nor influences either the direction or continuance in position. Wherefore it is manifest that no sufficiently strong reason has yet been found out by Philosophers against the motion of the Earth. ”

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Source: Wikisource

by William Gilbert, On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (1900)

“ Nor is it confident with reason that the heavenly bodies of the Peripateticks should attend on a centre so decadent and perishable as that of the Earth. They think that Nature seeks rest for the generation of things, and for promoting their increase while growing; and that accordingly the whole Earth is at rest. ”

by William Gilbert

Summary

Quotes from On the Magnet — Book VI. Chap. 5… (by William Gilbert)

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