Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
History
Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
Natural history; Science -- Early works to 1800; Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
To these, and all other that I can foresee, I briefly Answer, That the
Ring environing the Globe of _Saturn_ is a notable Instance of this
kind, as having the same common Center, and moving along with the
Planet, without sensibly approaching him on one side more than the
other. And if this Ring were turn'd on one of its Diameters, it would
then describe such a Concave Sphere as I suppose our External one to be.
And since the Ring, in any Position given, would, in the same manner,
keep the Centre of _Saturn_ in its own, it follows, that such a Concave
Sphere may move with another included in it, having the same common
Centre. Nor can it well be suppos'd otherwise, considering the Nature of
Gravity; for should these Globes be adjusted once to the same common
Centre, the Gravity of the parts of the Concave would press equally
towards the Centre of the inner Ball, which equality must necessarily
continue till some External Force disturb it, which is not easie to
imagine in our Case. This perhaps I might more intelligibly express, by
saying that the inner Globe being posited in the Centre of the
Exteriour, must necessarily ascend which way soever it move; that is, it
must overcome the force of Gravity pressing towards the common Centre,
by an impulse it must receive from some outward Agent; but all outward
Efforts being sufficiently fenc'd against by the Shell that surrounds
it, it follows, that this _Nucleus_ being once fixt in the common
Centre, must always there remain.
As to the leaking of the Water through this Shell, when once a passage
shall be found for it to run through, I must confess it is an Objection
seemingly of weight; but when we consider how tightly great Beds of
Chalk or Clay, and much more Stone do hold Water, and even Caves arch'd
with Sand; no Man can doubt but the Wisdom of the Creator has provided
for the Macrocosm by many more ways than I can either imagine or
express, especially since we see the admirable and innumerable
Contrivances wherewith each worthless Individual is furnish'd both to
defend it self, and propagate its Species. What Curiosity in the
Structure, what Accuracy in the Mixture and Composition of the parts,
ought not we to expect in the Fabrick of this Globe, made to be the
lasting Habitation of so many various Species of Animals, in each of
which there want not many Instances that manifest the boundless Power
and Goodness of their Divine Author; and can we then think it a hard
Supposition, that the Internal Parts of this Bubble of Earth should be
replete with such Saline and Vitriolick Particles as may contribute to
Petrefaction, and dispose the transuding Water to shoot and coagulate
into Stone, so as continually to fortifie, and, if need were, to
consolidate any breach or flaw in the Concave Surface of the Shell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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