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

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

Table of contents

[Item 1.]

[2.] Ex Libris James S. Dearden Rampside

[3.] A DISCOVERY OF A New , OR,

[4.] In Two Parts.

[5.] The Fifth Edition Corrected and Amended. LONDON,

[6.] The Epiſtle to the READER.

[7.] The Propoſitions that are proved in this Diſcourſe. PROPOSITION I.

[8.] PROP. II.

[9.] PROP. III.

[10.] PROP. IV.

[11.] PROP. V.

[12.] PROP. VI.

[13.] PROP. VII.

[14.] PROP. VIII.

[15.] PROP. IX.

[16.] PROP. X.

[17.] PROP. XI.

[18.] PROP. XII.

[19.] PROP. XIII.

[20.] PROP. XIV.

[21.] The Firſt Book. That the MOON May be a WORLD. The Firſt Propoſition, by way of Preface.

[22.] Sed vanus ſtolidis hæc omnia finxerit Error.

[23.] Solis lunæq; labores.

[24.] Cum fruſtra reſonant æra auxiliaria Lunæ.

[25.] Una laboranti poterit ſuccerrere Lunæ.

[26.] Gantus & è cælo poſſunt deducere Lunam.

[27.] Cantus & ſi curru lunam deducere tentant, Et facerent, ſi non æra repulſa ſonant.

[28.] PROP. II. That a Plurality of Worlds doth not contradict any Principle of Reaſon or Faith.

[29.] Æſtuas infelix auguſto limite mundi.

[30.] PROP. III. That the Heavens do not conſiſt of any ſuch pure Matter, which can priviledge them from the like Change and Corruption, as theſe Inferiour, Bodies are liable unto.

5341That the Moon may be a World. cording to this Opinion, the ſpots would not
always be the ſame, but divers, as the vari-
ous diſtance of the Sun requires. Again, if
the Sun Beams did paſs through Her, why
then hath ſhe not a Tail (ſaith Scaliger) as the
11Scaliger
Exer cit. 80.
ſect. 18. Comets? why doth ſhe appear in ſuch an ex-
act Round? and not rather Attended with a
long Flame, ſince it is meerly this Penetration
of the Sun Beams, that is uſually Attributed
to be the Cauſe of Beards in Blaſing Stars.

3. It is Opacous, not Tranſparent or Dia-
223 phanous, like Chryſtal or Glaſs, as Empedo-
33Plut. de fæ-
cie Lunæ. cles thought, who held the Moon to be a
Globe of pure Congeal'd Air, like Hail inclo-
ſed in a Sphere of Fire; for then,

1. Why does ſhe not always appear in the
Full? ſince the Light is Diſperſed through all
her Body.

2. How can the Interpoſition of her
44Thucid.
Livii.
Plut. de fd
cie Lunæ. Body ſo Darken the Sun, or cauſe ſuch great
Eclipſes as have turned Day into Night, that
have diſcover'd the Stars, and Frighted the
Birds with ſuch a ſudden Darkneſs, that they
fell down upon the Earth, as is related in di-
vers Hiſtories. And thereſore Herodotus tel-
ling of anEclipſe which fell in Xerxes's time, de-
ſcribesitthus, ὸ ἥλι {ος} ἐκλιπῶ, τὴυ {ἐκ}τ{οῦ} {οὐ}ραν{οῦ} ὲδρην
55Herodot. l.
7. c. 37. ἀφανὴς {ἦν}. The Sun leaving its wonted Seat in
the Heavens, Vaniſhed away ; all which argues
ſuch a great Darkneſs, as could not have been,
if her Body had been Perſpicuous. Yetſome
there are who Interpret all theſe Relations to
be Hyberbolical Expreſſions; and the Noble
Tycho thinks it naturally impoſſible that any
Eclipſe ſhould cauſe ſuch Darkneſs;

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