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-s2082" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="143" file="0155" n="155" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            militude in their Natures, for which Philoſo-
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            phy as yet has not found a particular Name.
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            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2083" xml:space="preserve">The latter does ariſe from that peculiar quali-
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            ty, whereby the Earth is properly diſtinguiſh-
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            ed from the other Elements, which is its con-
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            denſity. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2084" xml:space="preserve">Of which the more any thing does
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            participate, by ſo much the ſtronger will be
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            the deſire of Union to it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2085" xml:space="preserve">So Gold and
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            other Metals, which are moſt cloſe in their
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            Compoſition, are likewiſe moſt ſwiſt in their
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            motion of deſcent.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2086" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2087" xml:space="preserve">And tho’ this may ſeem to be contradicted
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            by the inſtance of Metals, which are of the
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            ſame weight, when they are melted, and when
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            they are hard: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2088" xml:space="preserve">As alſo of Water, which does
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            not differ in reſpect of Gravity, when it is
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            frozen, and when it is Fluid: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2089" xml:space="preserve">yet we muſt
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            know, that Mettals are not rarified by melting,
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            but mollified. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2090" xml:space="preserve">And ſo too, for frozen Wa-
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            ters, they are not properly condenſed, but con-
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            gealed into a harder ſubſtance, the parts being
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            not contracted cloſer together, but ſtill poſſeſ-
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            ſing the ſame Extention. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2091" xml:space="preserve">But yet (I ſay) ’tis
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            very probable, that there is ſuch a Sphere
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            about the Earth, which does terminate its
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            power of attracting other things unto it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2092" xml:space="preserve">So
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            that ſuppoſe a Body to be placed within the li-
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            mits of this Sphere, and then it muſt needs
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            tend downwards, towards the Centre of it.
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            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2093" xml:space="preserve">But on the contrary, if it be beyond this com-
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            paſs, then there can be no ſuch mutual Attra-
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            ction; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2094" xml:space="preserve">and ſo conſequently, it muſt reſt im-
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            moveable from any tuch motion.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2095" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2096" xml:space="preserve">For the farther confirmation of this, I ſhall
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            propoſe two pertinent Obſervations.</s>
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