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

Table of handwritten notes

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            <s xml:id="echoid-s4202" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="102" file="0282" n="282" rhead="That the Eartb may be a Planet."/>
            cellent Body, and the Centre is the beſt
              <lb/>
            place; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4203" xml:space="preserve">therefore ’tis likely the Sun is in the
              <lb/>
            Centre. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4204" xml:space="preserve">In the Frame of Nature (which
              <lb/>
            is ſuppoſed to be of an orbicular Form) there
              <lb/>
            are but two places of any eminency, the
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            Circumference and the Centre. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4205" xml:space="preserve">The Cir-
              <lb/>
            cumference being of ſo wide a capacity, can-
              <lb/>
            not ſo fitly be the peculiar Seat of a Body,
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            that is ſo little in reſpect of it: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4206" xml:space="preserve">And beſides,
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            that which is the moſt excellent part of the
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            World, ſhould be equally preſerved in it
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            ſelf, and ſhared in its Vertues by all the
              <lb/>
            other parts, which can only be done, by its
              <lb/>
            being placed in the midſt of them. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4207" xml:space="preserve">This is
              <lb/>
            intimated unto us, in that frequent Speech
              <lb/>
            of Plato, that the Soul of the World does
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            reſide in the innermoſt place of it: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4208" xml:space="preserve">And
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            that in Macrobius, who often compares
              <note symbol="*" position="left" xlink:label="note-0282-01" xlink:href="note-0282-01a" xml:space="preserve">Satur-
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              nal. lib. I.
                <lb/>
              c.17, &c.</note>
            Sun in the World, to the Heart in a living
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            Creature.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4209" xml:space="preserve"/>
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          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4210" xml:space="preserve">Unto this Ariſtotle anſwers by a diſtincti-
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            on: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4211" xml:space="preserve">There is medium magnitudinis, ſo the
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            Centre is in the middle of the Sphere: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4212" xml:space="preserve">And
              <lb/>
            there is medium naturæ, or informationis, which
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            is not always the ſame with the other; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4213" xml:space="preserve">for
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            in this ſenſe the Heart is in the middle of a
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            Man; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4214" xml:space="preserve">becauſe from thence (ſaith he) as
              <lb/>
            from the Centre, the vital Spirits are con-
              <lb/>
            veyed to all the Members: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4215" xml:space="preserve">and yet we
              <lb/>
            know that it is not the Centre of Magni-
              <lb/>
            tude, or at an equal diſtance from all the
              <lb/>
            other parts.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4216" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4217" xml:space="preserve">And beſides, the middle is the worſt place,
              <lb/>
            becauſe moſt circumſcribed, ſince that </s>
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