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

Page concordance

< >
Scan Original
101 89
102 90
103 91
104 92
105 93
106 94
107 95
108 96
109 97
110 98
111 99
112 100
113 101
114 102
115 103
116 104
117 105
118 106
119 107
120 108
121 109
122 110
123 111
124 112
125 113
126 114
127 115
128 116
129 117
130 118
< >
page |< < (115) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div140" type="section" level="1" n="41">
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1640" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="115" file="0127" n="127" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            nor can he know much in Aſtronomy, who
              <lb/>
            underſtands not the Paralax, which is a Foun-
              <lb/>
            dation of that Science; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1641" xml:space="preserve">and I am ſure that he is
              <lb/>
            a timerous Man, who dares not believe the
              <lb/>
            frequent experience of his Senſes, or truſt to a
              <lb/>
            Demonſtration.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1642" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1643" xml:space="preserve">True indeed, I grant ’tis poſſible, that the
              <lb/>
            Eye, the Medium, and the diſtance may all
              <lb/>
            deceive the Beholder; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1644" xml:space="preserve">but I would have him
              <lb/>
            ſhew which of all theſe was likely to cauſe an
              <lb/>
            Errour in this Obſervation? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1645" xml:space="preserve">Meerly to ſay they
              <lb/>
            might be deceiv’d, is no ſufficient Anſwer;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1646" xml:space="preserve">for by this I may confute the poſitions of all
              <lb/>
            Aſtronomers, and affirm the Stars are hard by
              <lb/>
            us, becauſe ’tis poſſible they may be deceiv’d
              <lb/>
            in their Obſerving diſtance. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1647" xml:space="preserve">But I forbear any
              <lb/>
            further reply; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1648" xml:space="preserve">my opinion is of that Treatiſe,
              <lb/>
            that either it was ſet forth purpoſely to tempt
              <lb/>
            a Confutation, that he might ſee the Opinion
              <lb/>
            of Galilæus confirm’d by others, or elſe it was
              <lb/>
            invented with as much haſt and negligence as
              <lb/>
            it was Printed, there being in it, almoſt as ma-
              <lb/>
            ny Faults as Lines.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1649" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1650" xml:space="preserve">Others think, that theſe are not any new
              <lb/>
            Comets, but ſome ancient Stars that were there
              <lb/>
            before, which now ſhine with that unuſual
              <lb/>
            Brightneſs, by reaſon of the interpoſition of
              <lb/>
            ſuch Vapours, which do multiply their Light;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1651" xml:space="preserve">and ſo the Alteration will be here only, and
              <lb/>
            not in the Heavens. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1652" xml:space="preserve">Thus Ariſtotle thought
              <lb/>
            the appearance of the milky way was produ-
              <lb/>
            ced: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1653" xml:space="preserve">For he held, that there were many lit-
              <lb/>
            tle Stars, which by their Influence did conſtant-
              <lb/>
            ly attract ſuch a Vapour towards that place of
              <lb/>
            Heaven, ſo that it always appeared white. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1654" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>
Impressum