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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            <s xml:id="echoid-s849" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="54" file="0066" n="66" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            him a Few by Birth; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s850" xml:space="preserve">but moſt agree that he
              <lb/>
            was much Converſant amongſt the Learneder
              <lb/>
            ſort and Prieſts of that Nation, by whom he
              <lb/>
            was inform’d of many Secrets, and, perhaps,
              <lb/>
            this Opinion which he vented afterwards in
              <lb/>
            Greece, where he was much oppos’d by Ariſto-
              <lb/>
            tle in ſome worded Diſputations, but never
              <lb/>
            conſuted by any ſolid Reaſon.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s851" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s852" xml:space="preserve">To this Opinion of Pythagoras did Plato alſo
              <lb/>
            aſſent, when he conſider’d that there was the
              <lb/>
            like Eclipſe made by the Earth; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s853" xml:space="preserve">and this, that
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0066-01" xlink:href="note-0066-01a" xml:space="preserve">Plat. de
                <lb/>
              conviviis,
                <lb/>
              Macrob.
                <lb/>
              Somn.
                <lb/>
              Scip. lib. I.
                <lb/>
              c. II.</note>
            it had no Light of its own, it was ſo full of
              <lb/>
            ſpots. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s854" xml:space="preserve">And therefore we may oſten read in
              <lb/>
            him, and his followers, of an ætherea terra, and
              <lb/>
            lunares populi, An Æthereal Earth, and Inha-
              <lb/>
            biters in the Moon; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s855" xml:space="preserve">but aſterwards this was
              <lb/>
            mix’d with many ridiculous Fancies: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s856" xml:space="preserve">For
              <lb/>
            ſome of them conſidering the Myſteries im-
              <lb/>
            plied in the number 3, concluded that there
              <lb/>
            muſt neceſſarily be a Trinity of Worlds, where-
              <lb/>
            of the firſt of this is ours; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s857" xml:space="preserve">the ſecond in the
              <lb/>
            Moon, whoſe Element of Water is repreſen-
              <lb/>
            ted by the Sphere of Mercury, the Air by Ve-
              <lb/>
            nus, and the Fire by the Sun. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s858" xml:space="preserve">And that the
              <lb/>
            whole Univerſe might the better end in Earth
              <lb/>
            as it began, they have contriv’d it, that Mars
              <lb/>
            ſhall be a Sphere of the Fire, Fupiter oſ Air,
              <lb/>
            Saturn of Water; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s859" xml:space="preserve">and above all theſe, the
              <lb/>
            Elyſian Fields, ſpacious and pleaſant places ap-
              <lb/>
            pointed for the Habitation of thoſe unſpotted
              <lb/>
            Souls, that either never were impriſoned in,
              <lb/>
            or elſe now have freed themſelves from any
              <lb/>
            Commerce with the Body. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s860" xml:space="preserve">Scaliger ſpeaking
              <lb/>
            of this Platonick Fancy, quæ in tres trientes
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0066-02" xlink:href="note-0066-02a" xml:space="preserve">Exercit.
                <lb/>
              62.</note>
            mundum quaſi aſſem diviſit, thinks </s>
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