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Descartes's cosmic system, which he jokingly called his fable of the world, is shown to be a fable indeed.

— David Gregory Inaugural Lecture by David Gregory M.D. Savilian Professor of Astronomy (1692)

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More quotes by David Gregory

Newton solved not only the universal problem of determining the trajectory and the motion in it for any given centripetal force, but also its converse.

Inaugural Lecture by David Gregory M.D. Savilian Professor of Astronomy (1692)

Pythagoras found out the true ratio between the sound of Strings and the Weights fasten'd to them.

The Elements of Astronomy, Physical and Geometrical (1715)

The Celestial Physics, or Physical Astronomy, is not only the first in dignity of all inquiries into Nature... but the first in order, because it is the easiest.

The Elements of Astronomy, Physical and Geometrical (1715)

From all ages architects have made use of arches in public buildings, as well for strength as beauty. Yet what was the true geometrical figure of an arch was not known before my demonstrations came out.

Thus Descartes’s rectilinear cometary trajectory, which he filched from Kepler, collapses, and many things about comets in his fable of the world may be added, which almost two thousand years ago had been shown to be impossible by Lucretius.

Inaugural Lecture by David Gregory M.D. Savilian Professor of Astronomy (1692)

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