A week's conversation on the plurality of worlds. To which is prefixed, a memoir of the author's life and writings / by M. de Voltaire.

  • Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle
Date:
1807
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A week's conversation on the plurality of worlds. To which is prefixed, a memoir of the author's life and writings / by M. de Voltaire. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    our thrift in the defign, and are at ten time* more charge in workmanfhip than it re- quires ; which is very ridiculous. Imitate nature then, replied (he, in your fyftem, and give me as little trouble as you can to com- prehend you. Madam, faid I, fear it not, we have done without impertinences : ima- gine then a German, called Copernicus, confounding every thing, tearing in pieces the beloved circles of antiquity, and (hatter- ing their cryftal heavens like (o nvanypanes • of glafs j leized with the noble rage of a- flronomy, he fnatches up the earth from the centre of the univerfe, fends her packing, and places the fun in the centre, to which it did more juftly belong j the planets no long- < er turn round the earth, nor inclofe it in the 'circles they defcribe ; if they give us light, :it is but by chance, and as they meet us in i their way : all now turns rcund the fun, even ithe earth herfelf j and Copernicus, to punifh tthe earth for her former lazinels, makes her 'contribute all he can to the motion of the ] planets and heavens J and now'dripped of all ithe heavenly equipage with which lhe was fo gloiiouily attended, (lie.has nothing left Iher but the moon, which ltill turns round about her. Fair and foftly, replied the Mar- chionefs ; I fancy you yourfelf aie feized with the noble lury of adronomv •, a little b 2