The philosophie, commonlie called, the morals vvritten by the learned philosopher Plutarch of Chæronea. Translated out of Greeke into English, and conferred with the Latine translations and the French, by Philemon Holland of Coventrie, Doctor in Physicke. VVhereunto are annexed the summaries necessary to be read before every treatise

CHAP. XX. Of the Sunnes substance. [ 40]

〈◊〉〈◊〉 affirmeth, that the circle of the Sunne is eight and twentie times bigger than the earth, having an hollow apsis about it, like (for all the world) unto a chariot wheele, and the same full of fire 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in one certeine place whereof, there is a mouth, at which the fire is seene, as out of the hole of a flute, or such like pipe, and the same is the Sunne.

XENOPHANES holdeth, that there is a certeine gathering of small fires, which by occasion of moist exhalations, meet together; and they all (being collected) make the bodie of the Sun, or els (quoth he) is a cloud set on fire.

The STOICKS say, that the Sun is an inflamed body * 1.1 intellectuall, or humour inflamed, [ 50] proceeding out of the sea.

PLATO imagineth it to consist of much 〈◊〉〈◊〉 .

ANAXAGORAS, DEMOCRITUS, and METRODORUS suppose it to be a masse of yron, or a stone inflamed.

ARISTOTLE is of opinion, that it is a sphaere out of the fifth body.

PHILOLAUS the Pythagorean, is perswaded that it is in maner of a glasse, receiving the re∣verberation of all the fire in the world, and transmitting the light thereof unto us (as it were)

thorow a tannise or streiner, in such sort, as that fierie light in heaven resembleth the Sun: then that which proceedeth from it, is in forme of a mirrour: and thirdly, there is a splendour, which by way of reflexion from that mirrour, is spread upon us: and this call we the Sun, as it were the image of an image.

EMPEDOCLES is of this minde, that there be two Sunnes, the one an originall and primi∣tive fire, which is in the other hemisphaere of the world; and the same filling this hemisphaere of ours, as being alwaies situate full opposit to the reflexion of the resplendent light thereof: as for this that we see, it is the light in that other hemisphaere, replenished with aire mixed with heat, & the same is occasioned by refraxion from the earth, that is more round, entring into the Sun, [ 10] which is of a Crystalline nature, and yet is trained and caried away together with the motion of that fire. But to speake more plainly and succinctly in fewer words, this is as much to say, as the Sunne is nothing els, but the reflexion of that light of the fire which is about the earth.

EPICURUS imagineth the Sun to be a terrestriall spissitude or thicknesse, yet spungeous (as it were) and hollow in maner of a pumish stone, and in those holes lightned by fire.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 after some.