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

5240That the Moon may be a World.

For the better Illuſtration oſ this, we may
conſider ſeveral ways whereby divers Bodies
are enlightned. Either as Water, by admit-
ting the Beams into its Subſtance; or as Air
and thin Clouds, by Tranſmitting their Rays
quite thorow their Bodies; or as thoſe things
which are of an Opacous Nature, and ſmooth
Superficies, which reflect the Light only in
one place; or elſe, as thoſe things which are
of an Opacous Nature, and Rugged Superſi-
cies, which by a kind of Circumfluous Re-
flexion, are at the ſame time Diſcernable in
many places, as our Earth, and the Moon.

2. It is Compact, and not a Spungey and
112 Porous Subſtance. But this is denyed by (a)
Diogenes, (b) Vitellio, (c) Reinoldus, and ſome
22a Plut. de
pla. phil.
l. 2. c. 13.
b Opt.lib.4.
c Com. Pur-
bac. Theo.p.
164. other, who held the Moon to be of the ſame
kind of Nature as a Pumice-Sone; and this,
ſay they, is the reaſon why in the Suns Eclipſes
there appears within her a duskiſh ruddy Co-
lour, becauſe the Sun Beams being Refracted
in paſſing through the Pores of her Body, muſt
neceſſarily be Repreſented under ſuch a Co-
lour.

But I Reply, if this be the Cauſe of her
Redneſs, then why doth ſhe not appear under
the ſame Form when ſhe is about a Sextile Aſ-
pect, and the Darkned part of her Body is
Diſcernable? for then alſo do the ſame Rays
paſs through Her, and therefore in all likely-
hood ſhould produce the ſame Effect; and
notwithſtanding thoſeBeams are then diverted
from us, that they cannot enter into our Eyes
by a ſtraight Line, yet muſt the Colour ſtill
remain Viſible in her Body. And beſides,

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