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

< >
< >
page |< < (98) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div131" type="section" level="1" n="39">
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1434" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="98" file="0110" n="110" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            No; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1435" xml:space="preserve">ſince ’tis ſo, and more with us alſo under
              <lb/>
            the Poles; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1436" xml:space="preserve">and beſides, the general Length of
              <lb/>
            their Night is ſomewhat abated in the Bigneſs
              <lb/>
            of their Moon which is our Earth. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1437" xml:space="preserve">For this Re-
              <lb/>
            turns as great a Light unto that Planet, as it
              <lb/>
            Receives from it. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1438" xml:space="preserve">But for the better Proof of
              <lb/>
            this, I ſhall firſt free the Way from ſuch Opi-
              <lb/>
            nions as might otherwiſe hinder the ſpeed of a
              <lb/>
            clearer Progreſs.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1439" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <note position="left" xml:space="preserve">Plut de.
            <lb/>
          fac lunæ.</note>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1440" xml:space="preserve">Plutarch, one of the chief Patrons of this
              <lb/>
            World in the Moon, doth directly Contract
              <lb/>
            this Propoſition, Affirming, that thoſe who
              <lb/>
            Live there, may diſcern our World, as the
              <lb/>
            Dreggs and Sediment of all other Creatures,
              <lb/>
            appearing to them through Clouds and Foggy
              <lb/>
            miſts, and that altogether Devoid of Light,
              <lb/>
            being Baſe and unmoveable; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1441" xml:space="preserve">ſo that they
              <lb/>
            might well imagine the Dark place of Damna-
              <lb/>
            tion to be here Situate, and that they only were
              <lb/>
            the Inhabiters of the World, as being in the
              <lb/>
            midſt betwixt Heaven and Hell.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1442" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1443" xml:space="preserve">To this I may Anſwer, ’tis Probable that
              <lb/>
            Plutarch ſpake this Inconſiderately, and with-
              <lb/>
            out a Reaſon, which makes him likewife fall
              <lb/>
            into another Abſurdity, when he ſays our Earth
              <lb/>
            would appear Immovable; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1444" xml:space="preserve">whereas Queſtion-
              <lb/>
            leſs, though it did not, yet would it ſeem to
              <lb/>
            Move and theirs to ſtand Still, as the Land doth
              <lb/>
            to a Man in a Ship; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1445" xml:space="preserve">according to that of the
              <lb/>
            Poet.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1446" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
        </div>
        <div xml:id="echoid-div133" type="section" level="1" n="40">
          <head xml:id="echoid-head52" style="it" xml:space="preserve">Provehimur portu, terræque urbeſque recedunt.</head>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1447" xml:space="preserve">And I doubt not but that the Ingenious Au-
              <lb/>
            thor would eaſily have Recanted, if he
              <lb/>
            had been but acquainted with thoſe </s>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>