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

Scan	Original
61	49
62	50
63	51
64	52
65	53
66	54
67	55
68	56
69	57
70	58
71	59
72	60
73	61
74	42
75	63
76	65
77	65
78	66
79	67
80	68
81	69
82	70
83	71
84	72
85	73
86	74
87	75
88	76
89	77
90	78

129117That the Moon may be a World. as HI. Suppoſe EF likewiſe to repreſent half
the Heavens, wherein was this appearing Co-
met at K. Now I ſay, that a contracted Va-
pour, as G, could not cauſe this appearance,
becauſe an Inhabitant at M could not diſcern
the ſame Star with the brightneſs, but perhaps
another at L, betwixt which the Vapour is di-
rectly interpoſed. Nor could it be cauſed by a
dilated Vapour, as HI, becauſe then all the
Stars that were diſcern’d through it, would be
perceiv’d with the ſame brightneſs.

’Tis neceſſary therefore that the cauſe of this
appearance ſhould be in the Heavens. And this
is granted by the moſt and beſt Aſtronomers.
But, ſay ſome, this doth not argue any natural
Alteration in thoſe purer Bodies, ſince ’tis pro-
bable that the Concourſe of many little Va-
gabond Stars, by the Union of their Beams
may cauſe ſo great a Light. Of this Opinion
were Anaxagor as and Zeno amongſt the Anci-
ents, and Baptiſta Giſatus, Blancanus, with
others amongſt our modern Aſtronomers. For,
ſay they, when there happens to be a Con-
courſe of ſome few Stars, then do many others
fly unto them from all the parts of Heaven like
ſo many Bees unto their King. But 1. ’Tis not
likely that amongſt thoſe which we count the
fixed Stars, there ſhould be any ſuch uncertain
Motions, that they can wander from all parts
of the Heavens, as if Nature had neglected
them, or forgot to appoint them a determi-
nate Courſe. 2. If there be ſuch a Conſlux
of theſe, as of Bees to their King, then what
reaſon is there, that they do not ſtill tarry with
it, that ſo the Comet may not be diſſolv’d ?

Page concordance

Text layer

Text normalization

Search

Scan	Original
61	49
62	50
63	51
64	52
65	53
66	54
67	55
68	56
69	57
70	58
71	59
72	60
73	61
74	42
75	63
76	65
77	65
78	66
79	67
80	68
81	69
82	70
83	71
84	72
85	73
86	74
87	75
88	76
89	77
90	78

Scan	Original
61	49
62	50
63	51
64	52
65	53
66	54
67	55
68	56
69	57
70	58
71	59
72	60
73	61
74	42
75	63
76	65
77	65
78	66
79	67
80	68
81	69
82	70
83	71
84	72
85	73
86	74
87	75
88	76
89	77
90	78

Scan	Original
61	49
62	50
63	51
64	52
65	53
66	54
67	55
68	56
69	57
70	58
71	59
72	60
73	61
74	42
75	63
76	65
77	65
78	66
79	67
80	68
81	69
82	70
83	71
84	72
85	73
86	74
87	75
88	76
89	77
90	78