The Earth the Centre of the World

[p. 9] For did not Earth hang midst the airy space,How could the Sun perform his constant race?Drive on the Day, fall headlong down the West,Force up the Stars, and rise again at East?How could the Moon her usual Round maintain,Rise, set, and rise near the same point again?Or He that leads the Stars at Night returnTo East again, and usher forth the Morn?But since Earth did not to a Bottom fall,But hangs, and yielding Air surrounds the Ball,The way is open, and no stop to forceThe Stars return, or to impede their course.

For who can think that when the ¹⁰Sun doth riseHe's born anew, or when He sets He dies?That when one Day He hath display'd his LightHis Race is finisht, and goes out at Night?Since He the same doth every Morn appear,And as He drives a Day He whirls a Year.From the same East He comes with equal pace,To the same West He still directs his Race;And not one Change is seen in Nature's Face.The same Moon shines, and at a certain Day,Her light encreases, and Her Horns decay.The track she made Nature doth still pursue,Nor like a Novice wanders in a new.Phoebus still warms those signs where first he shone,And Day goes round with one eternal Sun.

[p. 10] Thus prov'd: because by just Degrees the HoursIn different Countries are the same with Ours.The Eastern Nations view the rising FiresWhilst Night shades us, and lazily retires.And as to distant West we nimbly run,That still removes, nor can we reach the Sun.No East begins, no West his race doth bound,But he drives on in one continued Round.

Nor is it wondrous that one single BallShould hang, since 'tis the Nature of the All.No prop supports, but as their motions prove,The whole World hangs, and all that whirls above.The Sun doth drive his Race through yielding Skies,Wheel round the liquid Bound, and set and rise.Through Aether, Moon and Stars direct their Race,Like these Earth unsupported keeps its place,Though no fixt Bottom props the weighty Mass.