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The Sun, as much as they could observe,
they related to be a firm or solid Stone, of a vast
bigness, of colour yellowish, and of an extraordinary
splendor; but the Moon, they said, was of a
whitish colour; and although she looked dim in the
presence of the Sun, yet had she her own light, and
was a shining body of her self, as might be perceived
by her vigorous appearance in Moon-shiny nights; the
difference onely betwixt her own and the Suns light
was, that the Sun did strike his beams in a direct line; but
the Moon never respected the Centre of their World
in a right line, but her Centre was always excentrical.
The spots both in the Sun and Moon, as far as they
were able to perceive, they affirmed to be nothing else
but flaws and stains of their stony bodies. Concerning
the heat of the Sun, they were not of one opinion; some
would have the Sun hot in it self, alledging in old
Tradition, that it should at some time break asunder,
and burn the Heavens, and consume this world into
hot embers, which, said they, could not be done, if
the Sun were not fiery of it self. Others again said, This
opinion could not stand with reason; for Fire being a
destroyer of all things, the Sun-stone after this manner
would burn up all the near adjoining bodies: besides,
said they, Fire cannot subsist without fuel; and the Sun-stone
having nothing to feed on, would in a short
time consume it self; wherefore they thought it more
probable that the Sun was not actually hot, but onely
by the reflection of its light; so that its heat was an effect
of its light, both being immaterial: But this opinion
again was laught at by others, and rejected as ridiculous,
who thought it impossible that one immaterial
should produce another; and believed that both
the light and heat of the Sun proceeded from a swift
Circular motion of the æthereal Globules, which by
their striking upon the optick nerve, caused light, and
their motion produced heat: But neither would this
opinion hold; for, said some, then it would follow,
that the sight of Animals is the cause of light, and
that, were there no eyes, there would be no light;
which was against all sense and reason. Thus they argued
concerning the heat and light of the Sun; but
which is remarkable, none did say, that the Sun was
a globous fluid body, and had a swift circular motion;
but all agreed it was fixt and firm like a centre, and
therefore they generally called it the Sun-stone.
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| And if any should like the world I have made,
and be willing to be my subjects, they may imagine themselves such, and they are such—I mean
in their minds, fancies or imaginations. But if they cannot endure to be subjects, they may
create worlds of their own and govern themselves as they please.
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| © 2021 by Sarah Reitmeier, except text from The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World, published 1666 by Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle.
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