His lectures were delivered in a simple, unassuming style, and his illustrations and language were of a character to suit the comprehension of all. The first was con-fined to a marshalling of his experiments. “During the past week ‘Parallax’ has visited Preston, and lectured at the Institution to numerous and respectable audiences.
The simple manner in which he endeavoured to elucidate his subject, and bring it within the comprehension of his hearers, as well as the good temper and forbearance displayed during a lengthened discussion with some very able disputants, called forth a vote of thanks at the conclusion, which was acceded to without a dissentient voice.”– Westmeath Independent, May 24 th, 1851. We have seldom met with a lecturer endowed with such strong argumentative powers who, in language so simple, could present so quickly and clearly to the mind the ideas he wished to impart. At the close of each lecture a very animated discussion took place and although some very strong arguments were brought forward, ‘Parallax’ maintained his ground. “ZETETIC ASTRONOMY.–‘Parallax’ has just concluded a second course of four very interesting lectures, to large and respectable audiences, in the Court House here. He is evidently a man of gifted intellect, and deep scientific attainments.
As to ‘Parallax’ himself, we must say that we seldom listened to a more clear, perspicuous, and convincing lecturer. ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, With the startling facts to which they had been listening–the most sceptical, at least, philosophising after the manner of Hamlet:– ‘Parallax,’ however, maintained his principles with infinite tact and ability, and answered his opponents in a masterly manner. At the close of each lecture several gentlemen entered the lists with ‘Parallax,’ and a lively and interesting discussion ensued. The audience listened with the deepest attention, and appeared astonished at the revelations of the lecturer. The nature of these lectures is extraordinary, explaining that the earth is not a globe, but a fixed circular plane–that the sun moves in the firmament–and that, in fact, our present astronomical knowledge is altogether fallacious and inconsistent with natural phenomena. “ZETETIC ASTRONOMY.–‘Parallax’ repeated his lectures on this subject (by permission of the High Sheriff of the county) in the Court House here, to large and respectable auditories of our townspeople. –The lecturer is not a theorist, and the matter is sufficiently important to claim the attention of the scientific world.”– Liverpool Mercury, January 25 th, 1850. The lectures were well attended, and were delivered with great skill, the lecturer proving himself thoroughly acquainted with the subject in all its bearings.”– Wilts Independent, January 18 th, 1849. “TROWBRIDGE MECHANICS’ INSTITUTION.–On Monday and Tuesday evenings last two lectures were delivered by a gentleman adopting the name of ‘Parallax,’ to prove modern astronomy unreasonable and contradictory: that the earth is a plane or disc and not a globe, the sun, moon, and stars, self-luminous, &c., &c. Rowbotham was an accomplished debater who reputedly steamrollered all opponents, and his followers, who included many well-educated people, were equally tenacious. According to Rowbotham’s method, which he called Zetetic Astronomy, the earth is an enclosed plane, centered at the North Pole and bounded along its outward edge by a wall of ice, with the sun, moon, planets, and stars only a few hundred miles above the surface of the earth. His work was based on his decade-long studies of the earth and was originally published as a 16-page pamphlet (1849), which he later expanded into a 430-page book (1881). Samuel Birley Rowbotham (1816–1884) was an English inventor and writer who wrote Zetetic Astronomy: Earth Not a Globe under the pseudonym “Parallax”.