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And suppose the objector to refine still further, and to draw the

nice distinction that not only parts of tops, but whole tops,

when they spin round with their pegs fixed on the spot, are at

rest and in motion at the same time (and he may say the same of

anything which revolves in the same spot), his objection would

not be admitted by us, because in such cases things are not at

rest and in motion in the same parts of themselves; we should

rather say that they have both an axis and a circumference, and

that the axis stands still, for there is no deviation from the

perpendicular; and that the circumference goes round. But if,

while revolving, the axis inclines either to the right or left,

forwards or backwards, then in no point of view can they be at

rest.

That is the correct mode of describing them, he replied.