The Discovery of a World in the Moone | Page 4

them to goe and teach all nations, and preach the Gospell through the whole world,[5] and therefore he thinkes that as there are no men, so neither are there seas, or rivers, or any other conveniency for habitation: 'tis commonly related of one Virgilius, that he was excommunicated and condemned for a Heretique by Zachary Bishop of Rome, because hee was not of the same opinion. But Baronius saies,[6] it was because hee thought there was another habitable world within ours. How ever, you may well enough discerne in these examples how confident many of these great Schollars were in so grosse an errour, how unlikely, what an incredible thing it seemed to them, that there should be any Antipodes, and yet now this truth is as certaine and plaine, as sense or demonstration can make it. This then which I now deliver is not to be rejected; though it may seeme to contradict the common opinion.
[Sidenote 1: Comment. in 1. Cap. Gen.]
[Sidenote 2: Psal. 24. 2.]
[Sidenote 3: Comment. in 1. Genes.]
[Sidenote 4: 1 Tim. 2. 4.]
[Sidenote 5: Mat. 28. 19]
[Sidenote 6: Annal. Eccles. A.D. 748.]
2. Grosse absurdities have beene entertained by generall consent. I might instance in many remarkeable examples, but I will onely speake of the supposed labour of the Moone in her eclipses, because this is neerest to the chiefe matter in hand, and was received as a common opinion amongst many of the ancients, and therefore Plutarch speaking of a Lunary eclipse, relates, that at such times 'twas a custome amongst the Romanes (the most civill and learned people in the world) to sound brasse Instruments, and hold great torches toward the heaven. +T?n de R?mai?n (h?sper est? enomismenon) chalkou te patagois anakaloumen?n to ph?s autos kai pura polla dalois kai dassin anechont?n pros ton ouranon+,[1] for by this meanes they supposed the Moone was much eased in her labours, and therfore Ovid calls such loud Instruments the auxiliaries or helpes of the Moone.[2]
Cum frustra resonant ?ra auxiliaria Lun?.
and therefore the Satyrist too describing a loud scold, saies, she was able to make noise enough to deliver the labouring Moone.[3]
Vna laboranti poterit succurrere Lun?.
[Sidenote 1: In vita Paul. ?mil.]
[Sidenote 2: Metam. l. 4.]
[Sidenote 3: Iuven. Sat. 6]
Now the reason of all this their ceremonie, was, because they feared the world would fall asleepe, when one of its eyes began to winke, and therefore they would doe what they could by loud sounds to rouse it from its drowsinesse, and keepe it awake by bright torches, to bestow that light upon it which it began to lose. Some of them thought hereby to keepe the Moone in her orbe, whereas otherwise she would have fallen downe upon the earth, and the world would have lost one of its lights, for the credulous people believed, that Inchanters, and Witches could bring the Moone downe, which made Virgil say,
Cantus & è coelo possunt deducere Lunam.
And those Wizards knowing the times of her eclipses, would then threaten to shew their skill, by pulling her out of her orbe. So that when the silly multitude saw that she began to looke red, they presently feared they should lose the benefit of her light, and therefore made a great noise that she might not heare the sound of those Charmes, which would otherwise bring her downe, and this is rendered for a reason of this custome by Pliny and Propertius:
Cantus & è curru lunam deducere tentant, Et facerent, si non ?ra repulsa sonent.[1]
[Sidenote 1: Nat. hist. lib. 2. c. 12.]
Plutarch gives another reason of it, and he sayes, 'tis because they would hasten the Moone out of the darke shade wherein shee was involv'd, that so she might bring away the soules of those Saints that inhabit within her, which cry out by reason they are then deprived of their wonted happinesse, and cannot heare the musicke of the Spheares, but are forced to behold the torments, and wailing of those damned soules which are represented to them as they are tortured in the region of the aire, but whether this or what ever else was the meaning of this superstition, yet certainly 'twas a very ridiculous custome, and bewrayed a great ignorance of those ancient times, especially since it was not onely received by the vulgar, such as were men of lesse note and learning, but believed also, by the more famous and wiser sort, such as were those great Poets, Stesichorus and Pindar. And not onely amongst the more sottish heathens, who might account that Planet to be one of their Gods, but the primitive Christians also were in this kinde guilty; which made S. Ambrose so tartly to rebuke those of his time, when he said,
Tum turbatur carminibus Globus Lun?, quando calicibus turbantur & oculi.
"When your heads are troubled