"La più sublime, la più nobile tra le Fisiche scienze ella è senza dubbio l'Astronomia. L'uomo s'innalza per mezzo di essa come al di sopra di se medesimo, e giunge a conoscere la causa dei fenomeni più straordinari." ("The most sublime, the most noble among the Physical sciences is without doubt Astronomy. Man raises himself through being beyond himself and arrives at understanding the cause of the most extraordinary phenomena.") —Giacomo Leopardi, Storia dell'Astronomia

"For he hath given me the true knowledge of the things that are: to know the disposition of the whole world, and the virtues of the elements, the beginning, and ending, and midst of the times, the alterations of their courses, and the changes of seasons, the revolutions of the year, and the dispositions of the stars, the natures of living creatures, and rage of wild beasts, the force of winds, and reasonings of men, the diversities of plants, and the virtues of roots, and all such things as are hid and not foreseen, I have learned: for wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me. For in her is the spirit of understanding: holy, one, manifold, subtile, eloquent, active, undefiled, sure, sweet, loving that which is good, quick, which nothing hindereth, beneficent, gentle, kind, steadfast, assured, secure, having all power, overseeing all things, and containing all spirits, intelligible, pure, subtile." —Wisdom of Solomon 7:17-23