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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156144That the Moon may be a World.
The firſt taken in the preſence of many Phy-
ſitians, and related by an Eminent Man in that
Profeſſion, Hieron.
Fracaſtorius. There being
11Lib de
Simpath.
& Antip.
cap. 7.
divert Needles provided of ſeveral kinds, like
thoſe in a Mariners Chart, they found, that
there was an attractive power, not only in the
magnet;
but that Iron alſo and Steel, and Sil-
ver did each of them draw its own Mettle.
Whence he concludes, Omne trahit quod ſibi ſi-
22Vid. Bapt.
Maſul. ex-
er. Acad.
de attract.
exer. 4.
mili eſt.
And as theſe peculiar likeneſſes, have
ſuch a mutual efficacy;
ſo ’tis probable, that
this more general qualification of condenſity,
may be the cauſe, why things ſo affected deſire
Union to the Earth.
And tho’ ’tis likely that
this would appear betwixt two leſſer conden-
ſed Bodies, (as ſuppoſe two pieces of Earth)
if they were both placed at Liberty in the
Æthereal Air, yet being near the Earth, the
ſtronger ſpecies of this great Globe does as it
were drownd the leſs.
’Tis a common experiment, that ſuch a lump
of Ore or Stone, as being on the ground, can-
not be moved by leſs than ſix men, being in
the bottom of a deep mine, may be ſtirred by
two.
The reaſon is, becauſe then ’tis encom-
paſſed with attractive Beams, there being ma-
33Nat. Hiſt.
Cent. 1.
exper. 33.
ny above it, as well as below it.
Whence we
may probably infer (ſaith the Learned Veru-
lam) ‘that the Nature of Gravity, does work
‘ but weakly, alſo far from the Earth;
becauſe
‘ the appetite of Union in denſe Bodies, muſt
‘ be more dull in reſpect of diſtance.
As
we may alſo conclude from the motion of
Birds, which riſe from the ground but heavi-
ly, tho’ with much labour;
whereas being

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