A Discourse Presented to the Most Serene Don Cosimo II., Great Duke of Tuscany, Concerning the Natation of Bodies Vpon, and Submersion In, the Water.Galilei, Galileo
Science
A Discourse Presented to the Most Serene Don Cosimo II., Great Duke of Tuscany, Concerning the Natation of Bodies Vpon, and Submersion In, the Water.
Galilei, Galileo
Hydrostatics; Specific gravity
Therefore, the Fallacy lyes more in the Discourse of _Aristotle_, than
in that of _Democritus_, who with severall other Reasons might oppose
_Aristotle_, and alledge; If it be true, that the extreame Elements be
one simply grave, and the other simply light, and that the mean
Elements participate of the one, and of the other Nature; but the Air
more of Levity, and the water more of Gravity, then there shall be a
great Mass of Air, whose Gravity shall exceed the Gravity of a little
quantity of water, and therefore such a Mass of Air shall descend more
swiftly than that little water: But that is never seen to occurr:
Therefore its not true, that the mean Elements do participate of the
one, and the other quality. This argument is fallacious, no less than
the other against _Democritus_.
Lastly, _Aristotle_ having said, that if the Position of _Democritus_
were true, it would follow, that a great Mass of Air should move more
swiftly than a small Mass of water, and afterwards subjoyned, that
that is never seen in any Case: methinks others may become desirous to
know of him in what place this should evene, which he deduceth against
_Democritus_, and what Experiment teacheth us, that it never falls out
so. To suppose to see it in the Element of water, or in that of the
Air is vain, because neither doth water through water, nor Air through
Air move, nor would they ever by any whatever participation others
assign them, of Earth or of Fire: the Earth, in that it is not a Body
fluid, and yielding to the mobility of other Bodies, is a most
improper place and _Medium_ for such an Experiment: _Vacuum_,
according to the same _Aristotle_ himself, there is none, and were
there, nothing would move in it: there remains the Region of Fire, but
being so far distant from us, what Experiment can assure us, or hath
assertained _Aristotle_ in such sort, that he should as of a thing
most obvious to sence, affirm what he produceth in confutation of
_Democritus_, to wit, that a great Mass of Air, is moved no swifter
than a little one of water? But I will dwell no longer upon this
matter, whereon I have spoke sufficiently: but leaving _Democritus_, I
return to the Text of _Aristotle_, wherein he goes about to render the
true reason, how it comes to pass, that the thin Plates of Iron or
Lead do swim on the water; and, moreover, that Gold it self being
beaten into thin Leaves, not only swims in water, but flyeth too and
again in the Air. He supposeth that of Continualls[91], some are easily
divisible, others not: and that of the easily divisible, some are more
so, and some less: and these he affirms we should esteem the Causes.
He addes that that is easily divisible, which is well terminated, and
the more the more divisible, and that the Air is more so, than the
water, and the water than the Earth. And, lastly, supposeth that in
each kind, the lesse quantity is easlyer divided and broken than the
greater.
[91] _De Cælo_ l. 4. c. 6. t. 44.
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