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
211 31
212 32
213 33
214 34
215 35
216 36
217 37
218 38
219 39
220 40
221 41
222 42
223 43
224 44
225 45
226 46
227 47
228 48
229 49
230 50
231 51
232 52
233 53
234 54
235 55
236 56
237 57
238 58
239 59
240 60
< >
page |< < (4) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div195" type="section" level="1" n="55">
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2530" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="4" file="0184" n="184" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
            to the Opinion of any Man, as to think what
              <lb/>
            ever he ſays to be infallible. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2531" xml:space="preserve">We muſt la-
              <lb/>
            bour to find out what things are in them-
              <lb/>
            ſelves by our own experience, and a through
              <lb/>
            examination of their natures, not what an-
              <lb/>
            other ſays of them. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2532" xml:space="preserve">And if in ſuch an im-
              <lb/>
            partial enquiry, we chance to light upon a
              <lb/>
            new way, and that which is beſides the com-
              <lb/>
            mon rode, this is neither our fault, nor our
              <lb/>
            unhappineſs.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2533" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2534" xml:space="preserve">Not our fault, becauſe it did not ariſe from
              <lb/>
            Singularity or Affectation. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2535" xml:space="preserve">Not our unhap-
              <lb/>
            pineſs, becauſe it is rather a Priviledge to be
              <lb/>
            the firſt in finding out ſuch Truths, as are not
              <lb/>
            diſcernable to every common eye. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2536" xml:space="preserve">If No-
              <lb/>
            velty ſhould always be rejected, neither
              <lb/>
            would Arts have arrived to that perfection
              <lb/>
            wherein now we enjoy them, nor could we
              <lb/>
            ever hope for any future Reformation:
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2537" xml:space="preserve">Though all Truth be in it ſelf Eternal; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2538" xml:space="preserve">yet
              <lb/>
            in reſpect of Mens Opinions, there is ſcarce
              <lb/>
            any ſo antient, but had a beginning, and was
              <lb/>
            once accounted a Novelty; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2539" xml:space="preserve">and if for this
              <lb/>
            reaſon it had been condemned as an errour,
              <lb/>
            what a general darkneſs and ignorance
              <lb/>
            would then have been in the World, in com-
              <lb/>
            pariſon of that light which now abounds; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2540" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            according to that of the Poet:</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2541" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2542" xml:space="preserve">Quod ſi tam Antiquis Novitas inviſa
              <note symbol="*" position="left" xlink:label="note-0184-01" xlink:href="note-0184-01a" xml:space="preserve"> Horæt.
                <lb/>
              lib. 2. ep. 1.</note>
            Quam nobis, quid nunc eſſet vetus aut quid habe-
              <lb/>
            Quodlegerent tereretq; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2543" xml:space="preserve">viritim publicus uſus? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2544" xml:space="preserve">(ret,
              <lb/>
            If our Forefathers had but hated thus,
              <lb/>
            All that were new, what had been old to us?</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2545" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>
Impressum