Wilkins, John - A discovery of a new world : or a discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another Habitable World in the Moon ; with a discourse concerning the Probability of a Passage thither; unto which is added, a discourse concerning a New Planet, tending to prove, that 'tis probable our earth is one of the Planets

5947That the Moon may be a World. Colour. The Obſervation of this Variety in di-
vers Eclipſes, you may ſee ſet down by Keplar,
11Opt. A-
ſtron. c. 7.
num. 3. and many others.

But now this could not be, 
if that Light were her own, that being con-
ſtantly the ſame, and without any Reaſon of 
ſuch an Alteration: 

So that thus I may argue.

If there were any Light proper to the Moon,
then would that Planet appear Brighteſt when
ſhe is Eclipſed in her Perige being neareſt to
to the Earth, and ſo conſequently more Ob-
ſcure and Duskiſh when ſhe is in her Apoge,
or fartheſt from it; the Reaſon is, becauſe the
nearer any Enlightned Body comes to the
Sight, by ſo much the more ſtrong are the
Species, and the better perceiv'd. This Se-
quel is granted by ſome of our Adverſaries,
and they are the very Words of Noble Tycho,
22De nova
ſtella. lib. 1.
c. 10. Si Luna genuino gauderet lumine, utique cum in
umbra terre eſſet, illud non emitteret, ſed eò evi-
dentiùs exereret; omne enim lumen in tenebris,
plus ſplendit cum alio majore fulgore non prœpe-
ditur. If the Moon had any Light of her own,
then ſhe would not loſe it in the Earths Sha-
dow, but rather ſhine more Clearly, ſince eve-
ry Light appears greater in the Dark, when
it is not hindred by a more perſpicuous Bright-
neſs.

But now the Event falls out clean contrary,
33Reinhold
Comment.
in Purb.
Tbeor. pag.
164. (as Obſervation doth manifeſt, and our Op-
poſites themſelves do grant) the Moon appea-
ring with a more reddiſh and clear Light when
ſhe is Eclipſed, being in her Apoge or fartheſt
diſtance, and a more blackiſh Iron Colour
when ſhe is in her Perige, or neareſt to us,
therefore ſhe hath not any Light of her own.

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1. Page 90, Sentence 4:Over the Seas he might have Ships, and over //the Land Horſes, but he muſt have Wings be-//fore he could get up thither.

2. Page 141, Sentence 1:The Prieſt of Saturn relating to Plutarch //(as he feigns it) the nature of theſe Selenites, //told him, they were of divers diſpoſitions, //ſome deſiring to live in the lower parts of the //Moon, where they might look downwards //upon us, while others were more ſurely moun-//ted aloft, all of them ſhining like the Rays of //the Sun, and as being Victorious, are Crow-//ned with Garlands made with the Wings of //Euſtathia or Gonſtancie.

3. Page 156, Sentence 15:whereas being /// high, they can keep themſelves up, and ſoar a-//bout by the meer extenſion of their Wings. //

4. Page 171, Sentence 2:’Tis not perhaps impoſſible, that a man //may be able to Fly, by the application of Wings to his //own body;

5. Page 171, Sentence 6:If there be ſuch a great Ruck in Madagaſcar, as 11Mr. Bur. //ton. cus Polus the Venetian mentions, the Feathers in whoſe //Wings are twelve Foot long, which can ſoop up a Horle //22Melanch. //pa. 2. ſect. 2 //mem. 3. and his Rider, or an Elephant, as our Kites do a Mouſe; //

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