untoward planet pertinaciously continued her course,
not withstanding that she had reason, philosophy,
and a whole university of learned professors opposed
to her conduct. The philosophers took this in
very ill part, and it is thought they would never have
pardoned the slight and affront which they conceived
put upon them by the world had not a good-natured
professor kindly officiated as a mediator between the
parties, and effected a reconciliation.
Finding the world would not accommodate itself to
the theory, he wisely determined to accommodate the
theory to the world; he therefore informed his brother
philosophers that the circular motion of the earth
round the sun was no sooner engendered by the conflicting
impulses above described than it became a regular
revolution independent of the cause which gave it
origin. His learned brethren readily joined in
the opinion, being heartily glad of any explanation
that would decently extricate them from their embarrassment;
and ever since that memorable era the world has been
left to take her own course, and to revolve around
the sun in such orbit as she thinks proper.
[2] Faria y Souza: Mick.
Lus. note b. 7.
[3] Sir W. Jones, Diss.
Antiq. Ind. Zod.
[4] MSS. Bibliot.
Roi. Fr.
[5] Plutarch de Plac.
Philos. lib. ii. cap. 20
[6] Achill. Tat. isag.
cap. 19; Ap. Petav. t. iii. p. 81; Stob.
Eclog.
Phys. lib. i. p. 56; Plut. de Plac. Philos.
[7] Diogenes Laertius in Anaxag.
1. ii. sec. 8; Plat Apol. t. i.
p.
26; Plut. de Plac. Philos; Xenoph. Mem. 1.
iv. p. 815.
[8] Aristot. Meteor.
1. ii. c. 2; Idem. Probl. sec. 15; Stob.
Ecl.
Phys. 1. i. p. 55; Bruck. Hist. Phil, t.
i. p. 1154, etc.
[9] Philos. Trans. 1795,
p. 72; Idem. 1801, p. 265; Nich. Philos.
Journ.
i. p. 13.
Having thus briefly introduced my reader to the world,
and given him some idea of its form and situation,
he will naturally be curious to know from whence it
came, and how it was created. And, indeed, the
clearing up of these points is absolutely essential
to my history, inasmuch as if this world had not been
formed, it is more than probable that this renowned
island, on which is situated the city of New York,
would never have had an existence. The regular
course of my history, therefore, requires that I should
proceed to notice the cosmogony or formation of this
our globe.
And now I give my readers fair warning that I am about
to plunge, for a chapter or two, into as complete
a labyrinth as ever historian was perplexed withal;
therefore, I advise them to take fast hold of my skirts,
and keep close at my heels, venturing neither to the
right hand nor to the left, lest they get bemired
in a slough of unintelligible learning, or have their
brains knocked out by some of those hard Greek names
which will be flying about in all directions.
But should any of them be too indolent or chicken-hearted
to accompany me in this perilous undertaking, they
had better take a short cut round, and wait for me
at the beginning of some smoother chapter.
