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="65" file="0076" n="76" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s984" xml:space="preserve">The Stoicks held that Planet to be
              <note symbol="a" position="left" xlink:label="note-0076-01" xlink:href="note-0076-01a" xml:space="preserve">Plut. Fe
                <lb/>
              placit. phil.
                <lb/>
              l 2. c. 25.</note>
            ed by Fire and Air, and in their Opinion, the
              <lb/>
            Variety of its Compoſition cauſed her ſpots;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s985" xml:space="preserve">being not aſhamed to ſtile the ſame Body a
              <lb/>
            Goddeſs, calling it Diana, Minerva, &</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s986" xml:space="preserve">c. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s987" xml:space="preserve">and
              <lb/>
            yet affirm it to be an impure Mixture of
              <lb/>
            Flame and Smoke, and Fuliginous Air.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s988" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s989" xml:space="preserve">But this Planet cannot conſiſt of Fire (ſaith
              <lb/>
            Plutarch) becauſe there is not any Fewel to
              <lb/>
            maintain it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s990" xml:space="preserve">And the Poets therefore have
              <lb/>
            fained Vulcan to be lame, becauſe he can no
              <lb/>
            more ſubſiſt without Wood or other Fewel,
              <lb/>
            than a Lame Man without a Staff.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s991" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s992" xml:space="preserve">Anaxagor as thought all the Stars to be of an
              <lb/>
            Earthly Nature, Mixed with ſome Fire; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s993" xml:space="preserve">and
              <lb/>
            as for the Sun, he affirmed it to be nothing
              <lb/>
            elſe but a ſieryStone; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s994" xml:space="preserve">for which later Opinion
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0076-02" xlink:href="note-0076-02a" xml:space="preserve">Foſephus
                <lb/>
              l. 2. com.
                <lb/>
              App. Au-
                <lb/>
              guſte de ci-
                <lb/>
              vit. Dei.
                <lb/>
              l. 18. c. 41.</note>
            the Athenians ſentenc'd him to Death, thoſe
              <lb/>
            Zealous Idolaters counting it a great Blaſphe-
              <lb/>
            my to make their God a Stone, whereas not-
              <lb/>
            withſtanding, they were ſo ſenſeleſs in their
              <lb/>
            adoration of Idols, as to make a Stone their
              <lb/>
            God. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s995" xml:space="preserve">This Anaxagor as affirm'd the Moon to
              <lb/>
            be more Terreſtrial than the other Planets,
              <lb/>
            but of a greater Purity than any thing here
              <lb/>
            below, and the Spots, he thought, were no-
              <lb/>
            thing elſe, but ſome cloudy parts, intermin-
              <lb/>
            gled with the Light which belonged to that
              <lb/>
            Planet; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s996" xml:space="preserve">but I have above deſtroyed the Sup-
              <lb/>
            poſition on which this Fancy is grounded. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s997" xml:space="preserve">Pli-
              <lb/>
            ny thinks they ariſe from ſome droſſie ſtuff,
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0076-03" xlink:href="note-0076-03a" xml:space="preserve">Nat. Hiſt.
                <lb/>
              l. 2. c. 9.</note>
            mixed with that moiſture which the Moon
              <lb/>
            attracts unto her ſelſ; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s998" xml:space="preserve">but he was of their Opi-
              <lb/>
            nion, who thought the Stars were nouriſhed
              <lb/>
            by ſome Earthly Vapours, which you </s>
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