Questio de aqua et terra (50-59)

(50) Et secundum hec salvatur concentricitas terre et aque; et nichil sequitur impossibile apud recte phylosophantes, ut patet in ista figura, ut sit celum circulus in quo A, aqua circulus in quo B, terra circulus in quo C. Nec refert, quantum ad propositum verum, aqua parum vel multum a terra distare videatur. Et sciendum quod ista est vera, quia est qualis est forma et situs duorum elementorum; alie due superiores false; et posite sunt, non quia sic sit, sed ut sentiat discens, ut ille dicit in primo Priorum.

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(50) And thus the concentricity of earth and water is preserved, and no impossible consequence follows, if we philosophise rightly, as is clear from this figure. Let the circle marked A be heaven; the circle marked B, water; the circle marked C, earth; nor does it matter to the truth propounded whether water appears to outdistance earth little or much. And you are to know that this figure is the true one, for it is such as the form and position of the two elements really are. The other two figures above are false, and were inserted not because it is so, but to make the learner perceive, as saith he in the first Priorum.
(51) Et quod terra emergat per gibbum et non per centralem circumferentiam, indubitabiliter patet, considerata figura terre emergentis; nam figura terre emergentis est figura semilunii, qualis nullo modo esse posset si emergeretur secundum circumferentiam regularem sive centralem. (51) And that the earth emerges in a hump and not by its central circumference is clear when we consider the shape of the emerging land; for the figure of the emergent land is the figure of a half-moon, which could not possibly be the case if it emerged in accordance with its regular or central circumference;
(52) Nam, ut demonstratum est in theorematibus mathematicis, necesse est circumferentiam regularem spere a superficie plana sive sperica, qualem oportet esse superficiem aque, emergere semper cum orizonte circulari. (52) for as is demonstrated in mathematical theorems, the regular surface of a sphere must always necessarily emerge from a plane or spherical surface (as the surface of water must be) with a circular horizon.
(53) Et quod terra emergens habeat figuram qualis est semilunii, patet et per naturales de ipsa tractantes, et per astrologos climata describentes, et per cosmographos regiones terre per omnes plagas ponentes. (53) And that the emergent land has a shape like that of a half-moon is clear, both from the natural philosophers who treat of it, and astronomers who describe the zones, and cosmographers who set forth the regions of the earth in all quarters.
(54) Nam, ut comuniter ab omnibus habetur, hec habitabilis extenditur per lineam longitudinis a Gadibus, que supra terminos occidentales ab Hercule positos ponitur, usque ad hostia fluminis Ganges, ut scribit Orosius. Que quidem longitudo tanta est, ut occidente sole in equinoctiali existente illis qui sunt in altero terminorum, oritur illis qui sunt in altero, sicut per eclipsim lune compertum est ab astrologis. Igitur oportet terminos predicte longitudinis distare per clxxx gradus, que est dimidia distantia totius circumferentie. (54) For, as is held by all these in common, this habitable part stretches longitudinally from Gades, established by Hercules on the western boundary, to the mouths of the river Ganges, as Orosius writes. And this longitude is so great that when, at equinox, the sun is setting to those who are at one extremity, he is rising to those who are at the other, as astronomers have discovered by eclipse of the moon; so the extremities of the said longitude must be a hundred and eighty degrees distant, which is half the distance of the whole circumference.
(55) Per lineam vero latitudinis, ut comuniter habemus ab eisdem, extenditur ab illis quorum cenith est circulus equinoctialis, usque ad illos quorum cenith est circulus descriptus a polo zodiaci circa polum mundi, qui quidem distat a polo mundi circiter xxiij gradus; et sic extensio latitudinis est quasi lxvij graduum et non ultra, ut patet intuenti. (55) Latitudinally, as we commonly receive from the same authorities, it stretches from those whose zenith is the equinoctial circle to those whose zenith is the circle described by the pole of the zodiac round the pole of the universe, which is distant from the pole of the universe about twenty-three degrees. And thus the extension in latitude is about sixty-seven degrees and no more, as is evident on reflection.
(56) Et sic patet quod terram emergentem oportet habere figuram semilunii vel quasi, quia illa figura resultat ex tanta latitudine et longitudine, ut patet. (56) And thus it is clear that the emergent land must have the figure of a half-moon, or something like it; for that is the figure which results from such latitude and longitude, as is evident.
(57) Si vero haberet orizontem circularem, haberet figuram circularem cum convexo; et sic longitudo et latitudo non differrent in distantia terminorum, sicut manifestum esse potest etiam mulieribus. (57) But if it had a circular horizon it would have a convex circular figure, and so the longitude and latitude would not differ in the distance of their extremities, as may be seen by very women.
(58) Et sic patet de tertio proposito in ordine dicendorum. (58) And so the third point in the order of what we had to discuss is elucidated.
(59) [XX]. Restat nunc videre de causa finali et efficiente huius elevationis terre, que demonstrata est sufficienter; et hic est ordo artificialis, nam questio 'an est', debet precedere questionem 'propter quid est'. Et de causa finali sufficiant que dicta sunt in premediata distinctione. (59) It now remains to consider the final and the efficient cause of this elevation of the land, which has been sufficiently demonstrated. And this is the proper order of art, for the question whether a thing is, should precede the question why it is. As to the final cause, what has been said under the last heading but one may suffice.