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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2210That the Moon may be a World. ſtians alſo were in this kind guilty, which made
Ambroſe ſo tartly to rebuke thoſe of his time,
when he ſaid, Tum turbatur carminibus Globus
Lunæ, quando calicibus turbantur &
oculi.
‘When your Heads are troubled with Cups,
‘then you think the Moon to be troubled with
‘Charms.
And for this reaſon alſo did Maximus a Biſh-
op, write a Homily againſt it, wherein he ſhew-
11Turinenſ.
Epiſc.
ed the abſurdity of that fooliſh Superſtition.
I
remember that Ludovicus Vives relates a more
ridiculous ſtory of a People that impriſoned
an Aſs for drinking up the Moon, whoſe
Image appearing in the Water, was covered
with a Cloud as the Aſs was drinking, for
which the poor Beaſt was afterwards brought
to the Bar to receive a Sentence according to
his deſerts, where the grave Senate being ſet
to examin the matter, one of the Council (per-
haps wiſer than the reſt) riſes up, and out of
his deep judgement, thinks it not fit that their
Town ſhould loſe its Moon, but that rather
the Aſs ſhould be cut up, and that taken out
of him;
which ſentence being approved by
the reſt of thoſe Politicians, as the ſubtileſt
way for the concluſion of the matter, was ac-
cordingly performed.
But whether this Tale
were true or no, I will not queſtion;
howe-
ver, there is abſurdity enough in that former
Cuſtom of the Ancients, that may confirm
the Truth to be proved, and plainly declare
the inſufficiency of common opinion to add
true Worth or Eſtimation unto any thing.
So
that from that which I have ſaid, may be ga-
thered thus much.

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