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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8472That the Moon may be a World. ‘ on of the Phythagoreans, that the Moon is an
‘ other Earth, then her Brighter parts may fitly
‘ Repreſent the Earths Superficies, and the
‘ Darker part the Water:
and for my part, I
‘ never Doubted but that our Earthly Globe
‘ being Shined upon by the Sun, and beheld at
‘ a great Diſtance, the Land would appear
‘ Brighteſt, and the Sea more Obſcurely.
The
‘ Reaſons may be.
1. That which I urged about the foregoing
Chapter, becauſe the Water is the Thinner part,
and therefore muſt give leſs Light.
Since the Stars and Planets, by Reaſon of
their Brightneſs, are Uſually concluded to be
the Thicker parts of her Orb.
2. Water is in it ſelf of a Blacker Colour
11In lib. de
coloribus
(ſaith Ariſtotle) and therefore more Remote
from Light than the Earth.
Any parts of the
Ground being Moiſtened with Rain, does Look
much more Darkly than when it is Dry.
3. ’Tis obſerved that the ſecondary Light
of the Moon (which afterwards is proved to
proceed from our Earth) is ſenſibly brighter
unto us, for two or three days before the
Conjunction, in the morning when ſhe appears
Eaſtward, then about the ſame time after the
Conjunction, when ſhe is ſeen in the Weſt.
The Reaſon of which muſt be this, becauſe
that part of the Earth which is oppoſite to
the Moon in the Eaſt, has more Land in it
than Sea.
Whereas on the contrary, the Moon
when ſhe is in the Weſt, is ſhined upon that
part of our Earth where there is more Sea.

than Land, from whence it will follow with
good probability that the Earth does caſt a
greater Light than the Water.

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