ht make them lyable to the least change or corruption,
and their chiefe reason was, because we could not in so long a space
discerne any alteration amongst them; but unto this I answer.

[Sidenote 1: _De coelo. l. 1. cap. 3._]

1. Supposing we could not, yet would it not hence follow[1] that there
were none, as hee himselfe in effect doth confesse in another place; for
speaking concerning our knowledge of the Heavens, hee sayes 'tis very
imperfect and difficult, by reason of the vaste distance of those bodies
from us, and because the changes which may happen unto it, are not
either bigge enough or frequent enough to fall within the apprehension
and observation of our senses; no wonder then if hee himselfe bee
deceived in his assertions concerning these particulars.

[Sidenote 1: _De Coelo. l. 2. cap. 3._]

2. Though we could not by our senses see such alterations, yet our
reason might perhaps sufficiently convince us of them. Nor can we well
conceive how the Sunne should reflect against the Moone, and yet not
produce some alteration of heate. _Diogenes_ the Philosopher was hence
perswaded that those scorching heates had burnt the Moone into the forme
of a Pumice-stone.

3. I answer that there have been some alterations observed there;
witnesse those comets which have beene seene above the Moone. So that
though _Aristotles_ consequence were sufficient, when hee proved that
the heavens were not corruptible, because there have not any changes
being observed in it, yet this by the same reason must bee as prevalent,
that the Heavens are corruptible, because there have beene so many
alterations observed there; but of these together with a farther
confirmation of this proposition, I shall have occasion to speake
afterwards; In the meane space, I will referre the Reader to that worke
of _Scheiner_ a late Jesuit which hee titles his _Rosa Vrsina_,[1] where
hee may see this point concerning the corruptibility of the Heavens
largely handled and sufficiently confirmed.

[Sidenote 1: _lib. 4. p. 2. cy. 24, 35._]

There are some other things, on which I might here take an occasion to
enlarge my selfe, but because they are directly handled by many others,
and doe not immediately belong to the chiefe matter in hand, I shall
therefore referre the Reader to their authors, and omit any large proofe
of them my selfe, as defining all possible brevity.

1. The first is this: That there are no solid Orbes. If there be a
habitab