Transcriber's Note
The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
SYMMES'S THEORY
OF
CONCENTRIC SPHERES;
DEMONSTRATING
THAT THE EARTH IS HOLLOW, HABITABLE WITHIN,
AND
WIDELY OPEN ABOUT THE POLES.
SHAKSPEARE.
"If this man be erroneous, who appears to be so sanguine and persevering in hisopinions, what withholds us but our sloth, our self-will, and distrust in the rightcause, that we do not give him gentle meetings and a gentle dismission; that wedebate not and examine the matter thoroughly, with liberal and frequent audience;if not for his sake, yet for our own; seeing that no man who hath tasted learning,but will confess the many ways of profiting by those, who, not content with stalereceipts, are able to manage and set forth new positions to the world. And werethey but as the dust and cinders of our feet, so long as in that notion, they may yetserve to polish and brighten the armory of truth; even for that respect they arenot utterly to be cast away."
MILTON.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY MORGAN, LODGE AND FISHER.
1826.
DISTRICT OF OHIO, to wit.
Be it remembered, that on the fourth day of April,in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred andtwenty six and in the fiftieth year of the American independence,Messrs. Morgan, Lodge and Fisher, of saidDistrict, hath deposited in this office, the title of a book,the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the wordsand figures following, to wit:
"Symmes's theory of concentric spheres; demonstratingthat the earth is hollow, habitable within, and widelyopen about the poles: by a citizen of the United States.'There are more things in Heaven and Earth Horatio, thanare dreamt of in your philosophy' Shakespeare, 'Ifthis man be erroneous who appears to be so sanguine andpersevering in his opinions, what withholds us but oursloth, our self-will, and distrust in the right cause, that wedo not give him gentle meetings and a gentle dismission;that we debate not and examine the matter thoroughly,with liberal and frequent audience: if not for his sake,yet for our own; seeing that no man who has tasted learningbut will confess the many ways of profiting by those,who, not content with stale receipts, are able to manageand set forth new positions to the world. And were theybut as the dust and cinders of our feet, so long as in thatnotion, they may yet serve to polish and brighten thearmory of truth: even for that respect, they are notutterly to be cast away.' Milton."
In conformity to the act of Congress of the UnitedStates, entitled "An act for the encouragement of learningby securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books to