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

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11199That the Moon may be a World. riences which Men of latter times have found
out, for the Confirmation of this Truth.

2. Unto him aſſents Macrobius; whoſe
Words are theſe; Terra accepto ſolis lumine cla-
reſcit tantummodò, non relucet. ‘The Earth is
11Somn. Scip.
l. 1. c. 19. ‘ by the Sun Beams made Bright, but not able
‘ to Enlighten any thing ſo far. And his Rea-
ſon is, becauſe this being of a thick and Groſs
matter, the light is terminated in its Superſicies,
and cannot Penetrate into the Subſtance, where-
as the Moon doth therefore ſeem ſo Bright to
us, becauſe it receives the Beams within it ſelf.
But the Weakneſs of this Aſſertion, may be
eaſily Maniſeſt by a common Experience; po-
liſhed Steel (whoſe Opacity will not give any
Admittance to the Raies) reſlects a ſtronger
Heat than Glaſs, and ſo Conſequently a greater
Light.

3. ’Tis the general Conſent of Philoſophers,
that the Reflection of the Sun-Beams from the
Earth doth not reach much above half a
Mile high, where they Terminate the firſt Re-
gion, ſo that to Affirm they might aſcend to
the Moon, were to ſay, there were but one
Region of Air, which Contradicts the proved
and received Opinion.

Unto this it may be Anſwered:

That it is indeed the common Conſent, that
the Reſlection of the Sun-Beams reach only to
the Second Region; but yet ſome there are,
and thoſe too, Philoſophers, of good Note,
who thought otherwiſe. Thus Plotinus is Cited
by Cælius, ſi concipiat te in ſublimi quopiam mun-
22Ant. lect. l.
1.c.4. di loco, unde oculis ſubjiciatur terræ moles aquis
circumfuſa, & ſolis ſyderumq; radiis

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