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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          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1670" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="117" file="0129" n="129" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            as HI. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1671" xml:space="preserve">Suppoſe EF likewiſe to repreſent half
              <lb/>
            the Heavens, wherein was this appearing Co-
              <lb/>
            met at K. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1672" xml:space="preserve">Now I ſay, that a contracted Va-
              <lb/>
            pour, as G, could not cauſe this appearance,
              <lb/>
            becauſe an Inhabitant at M could not diſcern
              <lb/>
            the ſame Star with the brightneſs, but perhaps
              <lb/>
            another at L, betwixt which the Vapour is di-
              <lb/>
            rectly interpoſed. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1673" xml:space="preserve">Nor could it be cauſed by a
              <lb/>
            dilated Vapour, as HI, becauſe then all the
              <lb/>
            Stars that were diſcern’d through it, would be
              <lb/>
            perceiv’d with the ſame brightneſs.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1674" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1675" xml:space="preserve">’Tis neceſſary therefore that the cauſe of this
              <lb/>
            appearance ſhould be in the Heavens. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1676" xml:space="preserve">And this
              <lb/>
            is granted by the moſt and beſt Aſtronomers.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1677" xml:space="preserve">But, ſay ſome, this doth not argue any natural
              <lb/>
            Alteration in thoſe purer Bodies, ſince ’tis pro-
              <lb/>
            bable that the Concourſe of many little Va-
              <lb/>
            gabond Stars, by the Union of their Beams
              <lb/>
            may cauſe ſo great a Light. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1678" xml:space="preserve">Of this Opinion
              <lb/>
            were Anaxagor as and Zeno amongſt the Anci-
              <lb/>
            ents, and Baptiſta Giſatus, Blancanus, with
              <lb/>
            others amongſt our modern Aſtronomers. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1679" xml:space="preserve">For,
              <lb/>
            ſay they, when there happens to be a Con-
              <lb/>
            courſe of ſome few Stars, then do many others
              <lb/>
            fly unto them from all the parts of Heaven like
              <lb/>
            ſo many Bees unto their King. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1680" xml:space="preserve">But 1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1681" xml:space="preserve">’Tis not
              <lb/>
            likely that amongſt thoſe which we count the
              <lb/>
            fixed Stars, there ſhould be any ſuch uncertain
              <lb/>
            Motions, that they can wander from all parts
              <lb/>
            of the Heavens, as if Nature had neglected
              <lb/>
            them, or forgot to appoint them a determi-
              <lb/>
            nate Courſe. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1682" xml:space="preserve">2. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1683" xml:space="preserve">If there be ſuch a Conſlux
              <lb/>
            of theſe, as of Bees to their King, then what
              <lb/>
            reaſon is there, that they do not ſtill tarry with
              <lb/>
            it, that ſo the Comet may not be diſſolv’d ?</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1684" xml:space="preserve"/>
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