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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8674That the Moon may be a World.
Before I proceed to the next Poſition, I ſhall
firſt anſwer ſome Doubts which might be
made againſt the generality of this Truth,
whereby it may ſeem impoſſible that there
ſhould be either Sea or Land in the Moon;
for ſince ſhe moves ſo ſwiftly as Aſtronomers
obſerve, why then does their nothing fall from
her, or why doth ſhe not ſhake ſomething out
by the celerity of her Revolution;
I anſwer,
you muſt know that the Inclination of every
heavy Body to its proper Centre, doth ſuffici-
ently tye it unto its place;
ſo that ſuppoſe any
thing were ſeparated, yet muſt it neceſlarily
return again.
And there is no more danger of
their Falling into our World, than there is
Fear our falling into the Moon.
But there are many Fabulous Relations of
ſuch things as have dropped thence.
There is
a Tale of the Nemean Lyon that Hercules ſlew,
11Vide Guli.
Nubrigenſ.
de rebus.
Anglicæ.
lib. 1.
which firſt ruſhing among the Herds out of
his unknown Den in the Mountain of Gytheron
in Bæotia, the credulous People thought he was
ſent from the Goddeſs the Moon.
And if a
Whirlwind did chance to ſnatch any thing up,
and afterwards Rain it down again, the igno-
rant multitude were apt to believe that it
dropt from Heaven.
Thus Avicenna relates
a Story of a Calf which fell down in a Storm,
the Beholders thinking it a Moon-Calf, and
that it fell thence.
So Gardan Travelling up-
on the Apennine Mountains, a ſudden Blaſt
took off his Hat, which if it had been car-
ryed far, he thinks the Peaſants, who had per-
ceiv'd it to fall, would have ſworn it had
Rained Hats.
After ſome ſuch manner,

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