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="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"/>
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          <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>
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