To the Opinions above might be added many more, particularly that of Johannes Baptista Turrianus, and Fracastorius, who increased the Number of Heavens to fourteen, viz. seven on each Side the Aplané.
But of this I have said enough; in my next I shall proceed to Matter better grounded,
And am, &c.
LETTER the THIRD.
Concerning the Nature, Magnitude, and Motion of the Planetary Bodies round the Sun, &c.
SIR,
T
The younger Pliny, if I remember right, somewhere says, that there is, or ought to be, a wide Difference betwixt writing to a Friend, and writing to the Publick: I have indeed pleased myself with the one, but am far from thinking myself qualified for the other; I must therefore rather intreat you, though perhaps you cannot possibly overlook all my Faults as an Author, to excuse them at least in the Friend, and by such kind of unlimited Indulgence, you will give me a much greater Chance to do the Subject some Justice, though I own I despair in this first Attempt, to reconcile every thing I advance to your more cool and impartial Reasoning. But to the Business:
As I have no Ambition to have the Substance of my Theory more admired by you than understood, which is too often the Case in Works of this Nature, I must beg leave to repeat to you Part of a former Discourse, which will refresh in your Ideas the principal Laws of the System of our Sun, and make you properly acquainted with such Things as are necessary to be known in the now-established Astronomy of [I]Copernicus, &c. before I proceed to any new Matter.