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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172160That the Moon may be a World. later Chapter did unwittingly agree with it) there is de-
liver’d
a pleaſant and well contriv’d Fancy concerning a
Voyage
to this other World.
He ſuppoſeth that there is a natural and uſual paſſage
for
many creatures betwixt our Earth and this Planet.
Thus
he
ſays;
thoſe great multitudes of Locuſts wherewith
divers
Countries have been deſtroyed, do proceed from
thence
.
And if we peruſe the Authors who treat of them,
we
ſhall find that many times they fly in numberleſs
Troops
, or Swarms, and for ſundry days together before
they
fall, are ſeen over thoſe places in great high Clouds,
fuch
as coming nearer, are of extenſion enough to obſcure
the
day, and hinder the light of the Sun.
From which,
together
with divers other ſuch Relations, he concludes, that
’tis
not altogether improbable, they ſhould proceed from
the
Moon.
Thus likewiſe he ſuppoſes the Swallows,
Cuckoes
, Nightingales, with divers other Fowl, which are
with
us only half a year, to fly up thither, when they go
from
us.
Amongſt which kind, there is a wild Swan in
the
Eaſt Indies, which at certain Seaſons of the year do
conſtantly
take their flight thither.
Now this Bird being
of
a great Strength, able to continue for a long Flight;
as alſo going uſually in Flocks, like our Wild Geeſe; he
ſuppoſeth
that many of them together, might be thought
to
carry the weight of a Man;
eſpecially, if an Engine
were
ſo contriv’d (as he thinks it might) that each of them
ſhould
bear an equal ſhare in the burden.
So that by this
means
, ’tis eaſily conceivable, how once a year a man might
finiſh
ſuch Voyage;
going along with theſe Birds at the
beginning
of Winter, and again returning with them at
the
Spring.
----------- Sic itur ad aſtra.
Reptet humi quicunque velit -------------
Cœlo reſtat iter, cœlo tentabimus ire.

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