The following days his curiosity prompted him to watch the course of this luminary4, and he was still more surprised to find that it rose and set at various hours. The different forms which it took from week to week, and its total disappearance5 for some nights, also contributed to fix his attention. All that a child could do was to observe and to admire, and this was doing much; not one in ten thousand has this curiosity and perseverance6.
He studied, as he could, for three years, with no other book than the heavens, no other master than his eyes. He observed that the stars did not change their relative positions; but the brilliancy of the planet Venus having caught his attention, it seemed to him to have a particular course, like that of the moon. He watched it every night; it disappeared for a long time; and at length he saw it become the morning instead of the evening star. The course of the sun, which from month to month, rose and set in different parts of the heavens, did not escape him. He marked the solstices with two staves, without knowing what the solstices were.
It appears to me that some profit might be derived7 from this example, in teaching astronomy to a child of ten or twelve years of age, and with much greater facility than this extraordinary child, of whom I have spoken, taught himself its first elements.
It is a very attractive spectacle for a mind disposed to the contemplation of nature to see that the different phases of the moon are precisely8 the same as those of a globe round which a lighted candle is moved, showing here a quarter, here the half of its surface, and becoming invisible when an opaque9 body is interposed between it and the candle. In this manner it was that Galileo explained the true principles of astronomy before the doge and senators of Venice on St. Mark’s tower; he demonstrated everything to the eyes.
Indeed, not only a child, but even a man of mature age, who has seen the constellations10 only on maps or globes, finds it difficult to recognize them in the heavens. In a little time the child will quite well comprehend the causes of the sun’s apparent course, and the daily revolutions of the fixed11 stars.
He will, in particular, discover the constellations with the aid of these four Latin lines, made by an astronomer12 about fifty years ago, and which are not sufficiently13 known:
Delta14 Aries, Perseum Taurus, Geminique Capellam;
Nil15 Cancer, Plaustrum Leo, Virgo Coman, atque Bootem,
Libra Anguem, Anguiferum fert Scorpios; Antinoum Arcus;
Delphinum Caper16, Amphora Equos, Cepheida Pisces.
Nothing should be said to him about the systems of Ptolemy and Tycho Brahe, because they are false; they can never be of any other service than to explain some passages in ancient authors, relating to the errors of antiquity17. For instance, in the second book of Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” the sun says to Pha?ton:
Adde, quod assidua rapitur vertigine c?lum;
Nitor in adversum; nec me, qui c?tera, vincit
Impetus18; et rapido contrarius evehor orbi.
A rapid motion carries round the heavens;
But I— and I alone — resist its force,
Marching secure in my opposing path.
This idea of a first mover turning the heavens round in twenty-four hours with an impossible motion, and of the sun, though acted upon by this first motion, yet imperceptibly advancing from west to east by a motion peculiar19 to itself, and without a cause, would but embarrass a young beginner.
It is sufficient for him to know that, whether the earth revolves20 on its own axis21 and round the sun, or the sun completes his revolution in a year, appearances are nearly the same, and that, in astronomy, we are obliged to judge of things by our eyes before we examine them as natural philosophers.
He will soon know the cause of the eclipses of the sun and the moon, and why they do not occur every night. It will at first appear to him that, the moon being every month in opposition22 to and in conjunction with the sun, we should have an eclipse of the sun and one of the moon every month. But when he finds that these two luminaries23 are not in the same plane and are seldom in the same line with the earth, he will no longer be surprised.
He will easily be made to understand how it is that eclipses have been foretold24, by knowing the exact circle in which the apparent motion of the sun and the real motion of the moon are accomplished25. He will be told that observers found by experience and calculation the number of times that these two bodies are precisely in the same line with the earth in the space of nineteen years and a few hours, after which they seem to recommence the same course; so that, making the necessary allowances for the little inequalities that occurred during those nineteen years, the exact day, hour, and minute of an eclipse of the sun or moon were foretold. These first elements are soon acquired by a child of clear conceptions.
Not even the precession of the equinoxes will terrify him. It will be enough to tell him that the sun has constantly appeared to advance in his annual course, one degree in seventy-two years, towards the east; and this is what Ovid meant to express: “Contrarius evehor orbi;” —“Marching secure in my opposing path.”
Thus the Ram26, which the sun formerly27 entered at the beginning of spring, is now in the place where the Bull was then. This change which has taken place in the heavens, and the entrance of the sun into other constellations than those which he formerly occupied, were the strongest arguments against the pretended rules of judicial28 astrology. It does not, however, appear that this proof was employed before the present century to destroy this universal extravagance which so long infected all mankind, and is still in great vogue29 in Persia.
A man born, according to the almanac, when the sun was in the sign of the Lion, was necessarily to be courageous30; but, unfortunately, he was in reality born under the sign of the Virgin31. So that Gauric and Michael Morin should have changed all the rules of their art.
It is indeed odd that all the laws of astrology were contrary to those of astronomy. The wretched charlatans32 of antiquity and their stupid disciples33, who have been so well received and so well paid by all the princes of Europe, talked of nothing but Mars and Venus, stationary34 and retrograde. Such as had Mars stationary were always to conquer. Venus stationary made all lovers happy. Nothing was worse than to be born under Venus retrograde. But the fact is that these planets have never been either retrograde or stationary, which a very slight knowledge of optics would have sufficed to show.
How, then, can it have been that, in spite of physics and geometry, the ridiculous chimera35 of astrology is entertained even to this day, so that we have seen men distinguished36 for their general knowledge, and especially profound in history, who have all their lives been infatuated by so despicable an error? But the error was ancient, and that was enough.
The Egyptians, the Chald?ans, the Jews, foretold the future; therefore, it may be foretold now. Serpents were charmed and spirits were raised in those days; therefore, spirits may be raised and serpents charmed now. It is only necessary to know the precise formula made use of for the purpose. If predictions are at an end, it is the fault, not of the art, but of the artist. Michael Morin and his secret died together. It is thus that the alchemists speak of the philosopher’s stone; if, say they, we do not now find it, it is because we do not yet know precisely how to seek it; but it is certainly in Solomon’s collar-bone. And, with this glorious certainty, more than two hundred families in France and Germany have ruined themselves.
It is not then to be wondered at that the whole world has been duped by astrology. The wretched argument, “there are false prodigies37, therefore there are true ones,” is neither that of a philosopher, nor of a man acquainted with the world. “That is false and absurd, therefore it will be believed by the multitude,” is a much truer maxim38.
It is still less astonishing that so many men, raised in other things so far above the vulgar; so many princes, so many popes, whom it would have been impossible to mislead in the smallest affair of interest, have been so ridiculously seduced39 by this astrological nonsense. They were very proud and very ignorant. The stars were for them alone; the rest of the world a rabble40, with whom the stars had nothing to do. They were like the prince who trembled at the sight of a comet, and said gravely to those who did not fear it, “You may behold41 it without concern; you are not princes.”
The famous German leader, Wallenstein, was one of those infatuated by this chimera; he called himself a prince, and consequently thought that the zodiac had been made on purpose for him. He never besieged42 a town, nor fought a battle, until he had held a council with the heavens; but, as this great man was very ignorant, he placed at the head of this council a rogue43 of an Italian, named Seni, keeping him a coach and six, and giving him a pension of twenty thousand livres. Seni, however, never foresaw that Wallenstein would be assassinated44 by order of his most gracious sovereign, and that he himself would return to Italy on foot.
It is quite evident that nothing can be known of the future, otherwise than by conjectures45. These conjectures may be so well-founded as to approach certainty. You see a shark swallow a little boy; you may wager47 ten thousand to one that he will be devoured48; but you cannot be absolutely sure of it, after the adventures of Hercules, Jonas, and Orlando Furioso, who each lived so long in a fish’s belly49.
It cannot be too often repeated that Albertus Magnus and Cardinal50 d’Ailli both made the horoscope of Jesus Christ. It would appear that they read in the stars how many devils he would cast out of the bodies of the possessed51, and what sort of death he was to die. But it was unfortunate that these learned astrologers foretold all these things so long after they happened.
We shall elsewhere see that in a sect52 which passes for Christian53, it is believed to be impossible for the Supreme54 Intelligence to see the future otherwise than by supreme conjecture46; for, as the future does not exist, it is, say they, a contradiction in terms to talk of seeing at the present time that which is not.
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1
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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luminary
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| n.名人，天体 | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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7
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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opaque
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| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
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10
constellations
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| n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人） | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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12
astronomer
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| n.天文学家 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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delta
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| n.（流的）角洲 | |
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nil
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| n.无，全无，零 | |
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caper
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| v.雀跃，欢蹦；n.雀跃，跳跃；续随子，刺山柑花蕾；嬉戏 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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revolves
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 )；细想 | |
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21
axis
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| n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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luminaries
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| n.杰出人物，名人（luminary的复数形式） | |
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24
foretold
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| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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28
judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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29
Vogue
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| n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的 | |
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30
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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31
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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32
charlatans
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| n.冒充内行者，骗子( charlatan的名词复数 ) | |
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33
disciples
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| n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
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34
stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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35
chimera
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| n.神话怪物；梦幻 | |
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36
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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prodigies
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| n.奇才，天才（尤指神童）( prodigy的名词复数 ) | |
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maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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39
seduced
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| 诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷 | |
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40
rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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41
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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42
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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44
assassinated
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| v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏 | |
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45
conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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46
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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47
wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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48
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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49
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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50
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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51
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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52
sect
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| n.派别，宗教，学派，派系 | |
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53
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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54
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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