Natural and Moral History of the Indies

below the earth, for it circled the world and surrounded the immensity of the great Ocean? To whom will it not seem that, with this deed, it showed that all the greatness of the earth, however large it may be painted, is subject to the feet of a man, since he was able to measure it? So that, without doubt, the sky is of a round and perfect figure; and the earth, embracing the water, makes a complete globe or ball, which results from the two elements and has its terms and limits, its roundness and greatness. This can be sufficiently proven and demonstrated by reasons of philosophy and Astrology astronomy. And leaving aside those subtle ones, which are commonly alleged, that to the most perfect body (which the sky is) the most perfect figure is due, which without doubt is the round one; and that circular movement cannot be equal and firm if it creates a corner in any part and twists, as is forced if the Sun, Moon, and stars do not give a round turn to the world. But leaving this aside, as I say, it seems to me that the Moon alone should be enough in this case as a faithful witness in the sky, for it only darkens and suffers an eclipse temporary obscuration of a celestial body when it happens that the roundness of the earth places itself ex diametro original: "ex diametro"; meaning, "along the diameter" or "directly between" between it and the Sun, and thus hinders the passage of the rays of the Sun; which certainly could not be if the earth were not in the middle of the world, surrounded on all sides by the celestial orbs. Although Augustine, Epistle 109 to Januarius, c. 4. little has been lacking for someone to place in doubt whether the radiance of the Moon is communicated to it from the light of the Sun. But this is already too much doubting, for one cannot find another reasonable cause for the eclipses and for the full and quarters of the Moon, except for the communication of the radiance of the Sun. Also, if we look at it, we will see that the night is nothing other than the darkness caused by the shadow of the earth, by the Sun passing to another side. For if the Sun does not pass to the other side of the earth, but rather at the time of setting it turns back by making a corner and twisting, which is forced—