Jesper.  It is really all one to me whether it is oblong or round; but I must believe my own eyes, which show me that the earth is as flat as a pancake.

Montanus.  It is all one to me, too, what the bailiff or the others here in the village think on the subject; for I know that the earth is round.

Jeronimus.  The deuce it is round!  You must be crazy.  You surely have eyes in your head as well as other men.

Montanus.  It is known for certain, my dear father-in-law, that people live right under us with their feet turned toward ours.

Jesper.  Ha, ha, ha; hi, hi, hi; ha, ha, ha!

Jeronimus.  Yes, you may well laugh, Mr. Bailiff, for he really has a screw loose in his head.  Just you try to walk here on the ceiling with your head down, and see then what will happen.

Montanus.  That is an entirely different thing, father-in-law, because—­

Jeronimus.  I will never in the world be your father-in-law.  I love my daughter too well to throw her away like that.

Montanus.  I love your daughter as my own soul, but that I should give up my philosophy for her sake and drive my reason into exile,—­that is more than you can demand.

Jeronimus.  Ha, ha!  I see you have another lady-love in mind.  You can keep your Lucy or your Sophy.  I certainly shall not force my daughter on you.

Montanus.  You mistake me.  Philosophy is nothing other than a science, which has opened my eyes, in this respect as in others.

Jeronimus.  It has rather blinded both your eyes and your understanding.  How can you believe such a thing is good?

Montanus.  That is something which is beyond proof.  No learned man doubts that any longer.

Jesper.  I warrant you will never get Peer the deacon to agree with you.

Montanus.  Peer the deacon!  Yes, he is a great fellow.  I am a fool to stand here and talk about philosophy with you.  But in order to please Monsieur Jeronimus, I will nevertheless present one or two proofs.  First, we learn it from travellers, who, when they go a few thousand miles from here, have day while we have night:  they see other heavens, other stars.

Jeronimus.  Are you crazy?  Is there more than one heaven and one earth?

Jesper.  Yes, indeed, Monsieur Jeronimus, there are twelve heavens, one above the other, until the crystal heaven is reached.  So far he is right.

Montanus.  Ah!  Quantae tenebrae!

Jeronimus.  In my youth I went sixteen times to the neighborhood of Kiel, but as sure as I am an honorable man, I never saw a different heaven from what we have here.

Montanus.  You must travel sixteen times as far, Domine Jeronime, before you can notice such a thing, because—­

Jeronimus.  Stop talking such nonsense; it is neither here nor there.  Let’s hear your other proof.