JESPER. I warrant you will never get Peer the deacon to agree with you.
MONTANUS. Peer the deacon! Yes, he is a great fellow. I am a fool to stand here and talk about philosophy with you. But in order to please Monsieur Jeronimus, I will nevertheless present one or two proofs. First, we learn it from travellers, who, when they go a few thousand miles from here, have day while we have night: they see other heavens, other stars.
JERONIMUS. Are you crazy? Is there more than one heaven and one earth?
JESPER. Yes, indeed, Monsieur Jeronimus, there are twelve heavens, one above the other, until the crystal heaven is reached. So far he is right.
MONTANUS. Ah! Quantae tenebrae!
JERONIMUS. In my youth I went sixteen times to the neighborhood of Kiel, but as sure as I am an honorable man, I never saw a different heaven from what we have here.
MONTANUS. You must travel sixteen times as far, Domine Jeronime, before you can notice such a thing, because—
JERONIMUS. Stop talking such nonsense; it is neither here nor there.
Let's hear your other proof.
MONTANUS. The other proof is taken from the eclipse of the sun and moon.
JESPER. Just hear that! Now, he is stark mad.