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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299119That the Earth may be a Planet. the lower parts of this Globe, do not con-
ſiſt of ſuch a ſoft fructifying Earth, as there
is in the Surface, (becauſe there can be no
ſuch uſe for it as here, and Nature does no-
thing in vain) but rather of ſome hard
rocky ſubſtance, ſince we may well conceive,
that theſe lower parts are preſſed cloſe to-
gether, by the weight of all thoſe heavy
Bodies above them.
Now, ’tis probable,
that this rocky Subſtance is a Loadſtone, ra-
ther than a Jaſpis, Adamant, Marble, or
any other;
becauſe experience teacheth us,
that the Earth and Loadſtone do agree to-
gether in ſo many Properties.
Suppoſe a
Man were to judg the Matter of divers Bo-
dies;
each of which ſhould be wrap'd up
in ſome covering from his Eye, ſo that he
might only examine them by ſome other
outward ſigns:
If in this examination, he
ſhould find any particular Body which had
all the Properties that are peculiar to a
Loadſtone, he would in reaſon conclude it
to be of that Nature, rather than any other.
Now there is altogether as much reaſon why
we ſhould infer, that the inward parts of
the Earth do conſiſt of a Magnetical Sub-
ſtance.
The agreement of theſe two, you
may ſee largely ſet forth in the Treatiſe of
Dr.
Gilbert. I will inſtance only in one Ex-
ample, which of it ſelf may ſufficiently evi-
dence, that the Globe of Earth does par-
take of the like affections with the Load-
ſtone.
In the Mariner's Needle, you may
obſerve the Magnetical Motions of

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