And this may all be deduced out of the Doctrine of Aristotle against his own Doctrine.
Lib. 4. c. 6. Text 45.
Lastly, to that which we read in the latter part of the Text, that is to say, that we must compare the Gravity of the Moveable with the Resistance of the Medium against Division, because if the force of the Gravity exceed the Resistance of the Medium, the Moveable will descend, if not it will float. I need not make any other answer, but that which hath been already delivered; namely, that its not the Resistance of absolute Division, (which neither is in Water nor Air) but the Gravity of the Medium that must be compared with the Gravity of the Moveables; and if that of the Medium be greater, the Moveable shall not descend, nor so much as make a totall Submersion, but a partiall only; because in the place which it would occupy in the water, there must not remain a Body that weighs less than a like quantity of water: but if the Moveable be more grave, it shall descend to the bottom, and possess a place where it is more conformable for it to remain, than another Body that is less grave. And this is the only true proper and absolute Cause of Natation and Submersion, so that nothing else hath part therein: and the Board of the Adversaries swimmeth, when it is conjoyned with as much Air, as, together with it, doth form a Body less grave than so much water as would fill the place that the said Compound occupyes in the water; but when they shall demit the simple Ebony into the water, according to the Tenour of our Question, it shall alwayes go to the bottom, though it were as thin as a Paper.
FINIS.
Detailed Transcriber's Notes
The text has been made to match the original text as much as possible including variation in spelling, punctuation, italics etc. The following, details apparent printer's errors as well as changes or additions to aid readability of text.
Page [1], missing full stop after abbreviation gr., ['0 gr 54 min.'].