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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              <pb o="139" file="0151" n="151" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            Motion. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2013" xml:space="preserve">’Tis uſually Obſerved, that amongſt
              <lb/>
            the Variety of Birds, thoſe which do moſt
              <lb/>
            Converſe upon the Earth, and are Swifteſt in
              <lb/>
            their running, as a Pheaſant, Partridge, & </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2014" xml:space="preserve">c. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2015" xml:space="preserve">to-
              <lb/>
            gether with all Domeſtical Fowl, are leſs able
              <lb/>
            for Flight, than others, which are for the moſt
              <lb/>
            part upon the Wing, as a Swallow, Swift, & </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2016" xml:space="preserve">c.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2017" xml:space="preserve">and therefore we may well think, that Man
              <lb/>
            being not naturally endowed with any ſuch
              <lb/>
            Condition as may enable him for this Motion,
              <lb/>
            and being neceſſarily tyed to a more eſpecial
              <lb/>
            Reſidence on the Earth, muſt needs be ſlower
              <lb/>
            than any Fowl, and leſs able to hold out. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2018" xml:space="preserve">Thus
              <lb/>
            it is alſo in Swimming; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2019" xml:space="preserve">which Art, though it
              <lb/>
            be grown to a good Eminence, yet he that is
              <lb/>
            beſt skilled in it, is not able, either for conti-
              <lb/>
            nuance, or ſwiftneſs, to equal a Fiſh; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2020" xml:space="preserve">becauſe
              <lb/>
            he is not naturally appointed to it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2021" xml:space="preserve">So that
              <lb/>
            though a Man could Fly, yet he would be ſo
              <lb/>
            ſlow in it, and ſo quickly weary, that he could
              <lb/>
            never think to reach ſo great a Journey as it is
              <lb/>
            to the Moon.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2022" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2023" xml:space="preserve">But Suppoſe with all, that he could Fly as
              <lb/>
            Faſt, and Long, as the Swifteſt Bird: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2024" xml:space="preserve">yet it
              <lb/>
            cannot Poſſibly be Conceived, how he ſhould
              <lb/>
            ever be able to paſs through ſo vaſt a Diſtance
              <lb/>
            as there is betwixt the Moon\and our Earth.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2025" xml:space="preserve">For this Planet, according to the common
              <lb/>
            Grounds, is uſually Granted to be at the Leaſt,
              <lb/>
            52 Semidiameters of the Earth from us.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2026" xml:space="preserve">Reck-
              <lb/>
            oning for each Semidiameter 3456 Engliſh
              <lb/>
            Miles, of which the whole ſpace will be about
              <lb/>
            179712.</s>
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          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2028" xml:space="preserve">So that though a Man could Conſtantly keep
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            on in his Journey thither by a Strait </s>
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